Bound by Flowers
by MerhppDerhpp
Summary: Father's a shady businessman, Mother's (understandably) abandoned them and a dead person has somehow tethered themselves to Sakura's soul. It should've been obvious that it was only going to become more absurd from then on. [NaNoWriMo challenge - Achieved. AU. Sakura-centric. Insert OC.]
1. One Leaves, Another Arrives

**A/N:** It's begun! My time to finally join in on the NaNoWriMo challenge! I've been stressing, but now that it's begun I've become a little more optimistic.

Before you dive in, I'd like to say that there's going to be deliberate OOC among numerous other changes from canon.

I've decided to be lenient with myself, so this is just for fun so you may see some pacing problems or whatever. I plan to just let this story take me wherever it goes, and I hope that some of you will enjoy it along the way.

* * *

Father yawns, propping his elbow onto the dining table and opting to stare at Mother with a pleasant, patient grin. Mother picks at her food with a frown, her shoulder wrought with tension and discomfort. There is no battle, for Father has already won.

 _"Should tell the honey bunnies that you have the conscious of a dead person in your head."_ Shion suggests, her husky voice laced with a tone of devious amusement.

Sakura contemplates the thought, as that would be something different for Mother and Father to argue about. Their favourite topics are work related and whether or not to sign her up to the Academy, although Father would surely be happy for some variety.

"I have the voice of a dead person in my head." she announces, before casually shoving mashed potatoes into her mouth. "She says that she's the reason I nearly died after being born because of excess chakra… and some other things. Her chakra is in the diamond thing on my forehead, she told me."

Mother's face is blank, which states that she's at a loss and is really quite done with the fact that her family isn't as civilian-like as she wants. Shion has commented before that it's no one's fault but Mother's for marrying a shady businessman with hair shaped like a sakura.

Father's reaction is far more positive, because he beams and his blush-coloured sideburn moustache moves to accommodate. He sits up, then scoots his chair closer to his offspring before laying a hand down on one of her tiny shoulders.

"My strawberry cupcake!" he exclaims, his dramatic tendencies kicking in. Shion rather enjoys the presence of Father, but Sakura suspects it's probably because they're related somehow. "For how long? Who is it? Are they corrupting you with a _disgusting_ sense of righteousness?"

"Kizashi!" Mother chides, because her 'disgusting sense of righteousness' has been slighted. "We need to take her to the doctor! Get her examined or something." she sighs, clearly exasperated and tired of her family.

Neither Sakura nor Father feel very sympathetic, but that's because she takes after her paternal parent far more. Shion also has a large influence, for obvious reasons such as she's in Sakura's mind and could very likely take over.

"Shion's always been here," Sakura replies to Father, opting to ignore Mother since Mother often has useless things to say, "but she's like you. As in… eccentrically sociopathic? Perhaps?"

 _"Proud of you, sugar plum. Learning all those big words before you're even half-a-decade old. Mostly my fault, but hey, knowledge is power. Fuck 'em up with knowledge."_

She smiles, because though Shion typically sounds uncaring and sarcastic, Shion is always truthful and blunt even if it means others get hurt. Father is very much the same, only in a more amicable way where he smiles often.

Father slaps the hand previously on her shoulder to his chest, his expression contorting into one of dramatic pride on the verge of tears. "Look at you, shortcake! See, Mebuki?" he looks over to Mother, whose eyes of pine are spitting irritation. "I told you all those books would be educational and good for her!"

Sakura stabs a piece of her steak and begins to devour it, though her attention is currently focused on Mother. The books Father mentioned aren't exactly meant for children, but he thinks it appropriate considering her accelerated learning comprehension. Mother thinks that she should never look at them at all.

It's too bad, because she quite enjoys learning about the human body and how to make it continue functioning or stop. Shion's more interested in botany and fuuinjutsu among other things, but is knowledgeable enough to answer Sakura's questions until she grows tired of answering.

"You… You're corrupting our child so much that I…" Mother's eyes begin to water, her expression one of distress as she stares at an unconcerned husband. "I feel like she's not even my child!"

 _"I'm thinking that's a good thing, but my views are skewed so you know. I'm betting, jelly bean, that she's going to get the fuck out real soon."_ Shion chuckles at her prediction, which is a rather harsh and ominous sound. _"Or sugar daddy will make her, if not. I think he's pretty much done with her shit too, yeah."_

Sakura nods, making a face at the pile of carrots on her plate. Disgusting. "You can go if you want, kaa-san." she informs Mother, because it's not like anyone is keeping her there.

Father grins, but it's sharper than his usual grin. "Babycakes is correct, Mebuki my darling. We've had quite a blast, but I'm sure you're tired of having no sway over your family." he chuckles, and it's rather cruel. This is one of many reasons he and Shion may be related.

Mother slams her hands onto the table as she shoots out of her chair, her eyes glistening with fury and tears ready to fall. "I should _never_ have married you." she hisses, before disappearing into the entrance leading to the hall. Her furious stomping is quite audible, though.

Sakura mixes her mashed potatoes and steak together. "Can you make some gravy, tou-chan?" she queries with a furrowed brow, because of a sudden craving she blames on Shion.

Father looks down at her, and he smiles. "Sure thing, cupcake." he replies. She likes how the cerulean of his eyes become alight with warmth when he looks at her. Father is a shady businessman with a shady personality, but she knows he treasures her.

 _"My god, I'm both real glad and not that you share your senses with me. Because you know, food and then there's the iffy when you get older and start to go through puberty. That's going to fuck me over for like the third time, or some shit."_

Sakura wonders how old Shion really is, but Shion herself has forgotten. She has too many memories and can only keep them for so long, she says.

* * *

Hanging out in cemeteries is something Shion has influenced her to do, but Sakura herself doesn't mind. There's a garden of higanbana that she likes to occupy, watching as some people come and go to visit deceased loved ones. Mother never approved, but she's been gone for a few days now.

Shion taught her how to make a flower crown out of higanbana, so she likes to wear them and make Father wear them in his weirdly shaped hair. Higanbana of Konoha has a unique smell, which has a calming and relaxing effect. Shion says it's good for genjutsu, but that for it to work properly, the flowers have to be dowsed in Sakura's blood among other things.

 _"The scent of the blood and higanbana mix together, making it stronger and more effective so that it's easier to trap people in genjutsu, yeah. So it's some cool shit, sugar bean. I know you'd be a genjutsu type even if I wasn't sticking around inside your head, it's just that vibe you've got. Or my freaky intuition, but you know."_

They've questioned why Shion managed to stick herself to Sakura, but Shion only remembers having to forcefully create a seal called the _Byakugou no In_ so that her chakra wouldn't kill Sakura because of undeveloped chakra coils being unable to handle it all.

 _"My chakra's mostly spiritual, but I've managed to modify the seal enough that it slowly assimilates into your own chakra. Of course, your own chakra is getting stored in there too so when you finally learn to control it you can release it all at once and be a fucking badass. I learned it from my like, uh, great-aunt or whatever. Don't remember exactly, but we were from the same clan."_

"So…" Sakura hums, fiddling with higanbana in her hands. The broken stems have a particularly potent smell, but increased exposure has made her immune to it. "My chakra signature will be like yours once was."

Shion makes a sound of contemplative doubt. _"Well, I mean… kind of. I guess. It's basically diluted because of your own unique chakra so it's mixed together into this weird ass thing. I've never shared a body and chakra with someone, so I've only got theories and shit. But my chakra will affect your body so your chakra coils will expand more than it's supposed to, meaning you'll be feeling some early growing pains."_

Sakura groans at the thought, but doesn't complain. Father and Shion have ingrained it in her mind that nothing gained comes without pain. Larger chakra coils means a larger chakra reserve, more time until fatigue and exhaustion.

"Shion…?" the rough voice of a male murmurs, prompting Sakura to blink and turn to face the owner. She hears Shion make a strangled sound in her head as she registers that it's a shinobi with hair the shade of clouds and one eye she thinks to be coal. She glances to his bare shoulder and mentally corrects herself because he's not just a shinobi, he's part of ANBU. How exciting.

"I'm Sakura." she corrects him, feeling her forehead tingle with the weight of his gaze. "Do you know Shion, shinobi-san?" her head tilts, but the flower crown atop her head is secured into place. She toys with the thought of offering the one in her hands to him.

The man before her looks quite solemn, and Shion is making some unintelligible sounds. Sakura's sure they know each other, because there's a kind of desperation and strangled hope in his gaze.

"Shion's…" he glances down at the higanbana, crouching down to touch the petals. "Shion's my girlfriend. She died… but you smell like her. Do you know her, Sakura-san…?"

Sakura's brow furrows, because Shion sounds mildly distressed even though she's not saying much. She decides to be honest with the cloud-haired man. "Shion's an… occupant, in my head. She's making some weird sounds, so I don't know exactly how she feels right now."

And his eye lights up, in such a way that makes Sakura's stomach churn. It makes her unsure, because Shion has said it before that the living need to move on from the dead. Shion, though spiritually alive within her, is dead to the rest of the world.

 _"Fuck me, silver bun!"_ Shion exclaims, more in exasperation and as a figure of speech than an actual demand. That would be quite awkward _. "Bruh, look at him! He's fucking drowning in depression and self-loathing, my fucking god. He's been neglecting his hug therapy again, the fucking nerd. Go give that fucknut a hug, yeah?"_

Sakura obeys, standing up and making her way over to the dubbed 'silver bun' without trampling the flowers around her. He twitches, but he remains still until she stands in front of him. There's quite a difference in height, but she rectifies this by reaching up with her arms.

He obliges her after a moment's hesitation, picking her up and holding her steady as she wraps her tiny arms around his neck. He smells like a freshly washed dog and ink, which is a strange mix to her.

"She says you've been neglecting your hug therapy, 'silver bun'." Sakura relays in his ear, staring over his shoulder and into the distance. His grip on her tightens, his shoulders tensing. It takes him nearly half-a-minute to reply.

"Kushina and Minato… aren't around to replace her. They… They died only months after she did, and I don't like hugs from Gai or Genma…" he whispers, readjusting his hands to properly hug her back.

Father's hugs are warm and pleasant, like a cocoon. This hug is… well, solemn. She's comforting a man broken and desperate, and it's a little absurd to know that his dead girlfriend is the voice in her head. It almost makes her want to smile, but maybe that would ruin the mood.

Except Shion laughs anyway, cackling like a mad woman. She feels the absurdity too, surely _. "I fucking called it, but apparently me dying nullifies my advice! Whatever, man. Hey, sugar plum, you have a choice here… but would you take in a stray for me? There's this damn itch I can't scratch that will irritate the shit out of me if we leave him on his own. Probably going to die in a gutter like a dog waiting for an owner already dead, yeah."_

Sakura thinks about it as she plays with soft, unruly hair of cloud. Shion doesn't ask for much, perhaps a demand for a food she's been craving that makes Sakura crave it. It doesn't really compare to her asking to take in a man more akin to a stray dog than anything else.

"I'm Sakura." she murmurs, leaning back to face the man she's about to claim as her own. He has quite a stare even though only one eye is visible. "Haruno Sakura. Shion wants me to take you in, but I don't want to if you're just going to think I'm Shion with a new face. I'm Sakura. Alright?"

He continues to stare at her and she returns the gesture without hesitation, even when the silence goes on for a full two minutes. Shion remains silent, because though this is for her, it's Sakura who's in control of the situation. Shion respects that.

"I'm…" he starts to say, finally. "Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi. I'm sorry… please take care of me." and he leans forward to rest his forehead against hers, likely so it skews her vision of the expression only a quarter visible.

 _"Isn't he hopeless?"_ Shion sighs, but with an exasperated fondness. Sakura smiles.

"Let's go home, then. Tou-chan would like to meet you, first of all."

* * *

Father's first words are, "Isn't he a bit old for you, strawberry?" causing Shion to erupt in laughter. That then leads to Sakura laughing, with Father following soon after and Kakashi being the only one left out. He holds her dutifully, though.

"This is Shion's boyfriend." Sakura breathes out after calming down. "She asked me to take him in, so can we?" the matter of asking for permission is more of a formality, as Father is incredibly lenient with her. His only concern would be if Kakashi is capable of keeping the true nature of Father's business a secret.

Shion assures her that his sense of loyalty is to his family, all of whom are dead. Her unique continuation of existence and Kakashi's knowledge of it ensures that he will listen to the interests of Sakura and whomever else is positively associated. Shion admits that it was thanks to years of mental conditioning that this happened, as they grew up together and Shion's doesn't like Konoha's education of blind loyalty to the village.

Sakura feels as though Kakashi is becoming less and less of an actual person, which makes her question if Shion actually sees people as people. Shion only hums in acknowledgement instead of confirming or denying.

Father examines Kakashi's form with his typical friendly smile, before gesturing to the unoccupied couch. Kakashi places her down as per her gesture for him to, before listening to Father and sitting down. Sakura makes her way to the kitchen, to prepare her cereal that will drown in sugar and milk. She blames Shion for many of her preferences in food.

"Do you care about him romantically, Shion?" she queries out loud, because whilst she can communicate without speaking, it gives her a headache because there seems to be some sort of separation. It allows for private thoughts, for them both at the least.

 _"To be real… I don't even know, jelly bean. All I know is that he's important to me and that I may have allowed him the leniency to call me his girlfriend, yeah. So uh, you know, our relationship isn't even official but whatever. I still low-key died for him, the fucker."_ Shion snorts, though doesn't seem to be particularly angry at having died for Kakashi. _"Once… I think he wasn't even real to me. Before I was Shion, I… was someone else, I guess. My memories of that life's fucked though, but there's some gut feelings that have stuck, you could say. My intuition."_

Sakura tilts her head as she stirs her cereal. She supposes that it's enough that they care about each other, even if they can't even really define the nature of their relationship. She knows that her and Father's relationship is a little skewed, but definitely a familial one. Shion would demand she kill Father if his feelings were much more disturbing. Then who'd provide the money for living expenses?

"Right! Cupcake, I'm going to go help your new pet with his things! If you're going to cultivate those higanbana in the garden again, make sure to clean up!" Father announces from the lounge room, popping his face into the entrance of the kitchen to confirm that she heard.

"I'm going to go to the library soon." she informs him, glancing to Kakashi as he makes his appearance. The way he looks at her makes her uncomfortable, but she just has to ingrain it into his mind that she is Sakura and Sakura is her own person. She tries to ignore the niggle of doubt that emerges.

"Don't be out too long," Father advises with a smile, "can never be too sure if that weirdo of an old man will try to recruit you into his group of brainwashed children."

Sakura nods, and the two men depart.

* * *

It takes a few children she's never met before to realise just how differently she is compared to others of her age group. She's known that her circumstances are absurd, but because she's never really interacted with other children, it hasn't really sunken in.

The leader is a boy, with nondescript features. He sizes her up, and decides that she's not good enough. For what, she doesn't know. Shion groans, already done even though it's barely even begun. Sakura agrees, because she knows this just won't end well. They're blocking her way, and will continue to do so if she tries to walk around them.

She trains, as per Shion's suggestion, but she's not sure if she's ready to take on a group of older children yet.

"Did you paint that thing on your giant forehead?" the leader demands, clearly mocking her. Irritation begins to bubble in her stomach. "I bet you did it because you thought it looks pretty!"

"It doesn't!" his friend exclaims with a cackle, the rest joining in like domino effect. "Ugly like those flowers on your head!" which makes her curious to know what's the point of bullying a girl they've never met before, she wonders? Where is the benefit?

"And who even has pink hair?" another sneers. "Bet mommy dyed it for you so you could be different from everyone, huh?"

 _"Tell them they're pathetic."_ Shion states, her voice harsh with aggravation. _"Tell them that they're probably like this because their parents beat them down whether emotionally or physically. That they have to put down others just so they can feel like they're something more than a piece of trash, yeah."_

Her words are cruel, despite the fact that Sakura is sure Shion understands she could word it nicely and manipulate them to like her more. Then, Shion sighs and begins to rephrase like Sakura expected her to.

 _"Just my irritation from past experiences, sugar bean. Tell them that others don't react positively to belittling, since that appears to be a confusing subject for them. Bullying people only isolates you from people and creates enemies, which is usually not what the bullies want. They're lonely fucking creatures that wish to be loved, half the time."_

Sakura puts on a smile, though she feels its effect is more unnerving than comforting if she takes her cues from their bemused and discomforted expression.

"Do you want people to hate you?" she asks them, looking over all their faces. Only five. "Because that's what you're going to do, by trying to put them down and making them feel insecure like you."

The leader scowls at her, stepping forward and puffing out his chest. "What would you know, _pinky_?" he demands, and the nickname is insufferably old even though it's the first time she's ever been called that.

"You direct your negativity onto others to make yourself feel better, or maybe it's because you want to be seen as something 'cool'. I'm not entirely sure, but all you're doing is purposefully hurting people and making sure that they'll be less likely to care about you. You create enemies by doing what you're doing, and they'll be the ones to stab you in the back. Who'll care about some bully getting hurt? No one, because they'd be happy you're finally feeling what you made them feel."

She feels distinctly uncomfortable, because she doesn't usually talk so much in one go. One reason is because her tongue goes against her the longer she speaks. Nevertheless, she continues to stare them down as they look amongst each other with confliction marring their expression. The leader's fists tremble, and he looks like he's ready to lash out at her. Her main concern is that they understood what she was saying.

"Do you really want to live like that? Because if you continue to antagonise me, I'm going to make you hurt and I won't have any sympathy for you. I'm not the only one who's willing to do that. Right now, you have the option to continue with your attempts to bully me and the other option to just leave me be. I have nothing against you right now, but I will if you choose to continue wasting my time." her eyes narrow at them, because she knows that her words are true. "It's up to you, you know."

"You think you can hurt us?" one of them tries to mock, but it's weak and uncertain. He stands behind his friend, who looks back at him with a chiding expression.

Her response is to smile once more, a little softer because forcing a smile is a pain. "Everyone bleeds. It doesn't take much to stab someone and make a part of them stop functioning." though, she wants to be a little more delicate than that. If she can, which is why she's studying about human bodies. She might have to start reading about animals as well, because of clans like the Inuzuka.

"What's…" the leader frowns, looking like he's in pain. Or constipated, but it's the same thing. "What's your name?" and he chokes, one of his friends patting him on the back. Shion snorts, muttering about how pitiful they are.

"Sakura." she informs him, tilting her head.

The leader's face is red, much to Shion's amusement. His eyes look off to the side. "I'm Arata…"

"What are you doing?" one asks, clearly confused. "Why are you telling her your name?" as if there needs to be more conflict. Sakura just wants this to be done.

"Shut up!" Arata retorts, snapping his head back at his friend before returning his eyes to somewhere above her. "Look, Sa… Just look, 'kay! We're sorry! You're only going to hear that once, so don't ask again!" even though an apology is something she's never asked for.

"Yeah," the one beside Arata nods, "sorry. I guess it's been silly of us to pick on a little girl." he rubs the back of his neck, sheepish. "Even if she doesn't act like one..." he adds with a mutter. She's curious to know if he meant for her to hear.

 _"This is dragging on, like yay, good for them but let's get the hell out, yeah. Some bullshit with bullying that's a waste of time, my god I feel so old that I shouldn't have to bother with this shit anymore."_ Shion continues to mutter to herself, though it's inconsequential.

Sakura cuts their group argument about whether or not to listen to her short. "Well, if that's all." she nods her head in acknowledgement before resuming her walk to her destination. "Bye."

The leaves of the trees nearby bristle, though there's no wind. She can't be bothered to remain around for any longer.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 4,033

 **Total Word Count:** 4,033

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoy what you see so far and decide to join along with the journey. I really hope to be able to complete this challenge, but if not, at least I tried.

When and/or if I finish, I might come back to edit some things to make things more coherent and smooth or something. Since, right now, I'm just writing things up as I go and hoping it makes some sort of sense as a whole.

18/11/16 Edit: In case some of you might be confused, I'd like to point out a thing or two. Shion herself was born in an AU before she died, so the changes you see are _not_ all because of her. As well, if it's not obvious to some... this Shion is an OC. I seriously had someone confused about that.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	2. Spectacular Children

**A/N:** Day two. It's so nice to see that a few of you have decided to stick around. Your existence brings me joy.

* * *

Her control over her chakra is what Shion says to be perfect, an incredibly rare ability to have. The thought makes Sakura's heart swell with triumph, only deflating the slightest when Shion explains that it might change as she grows due to larger reserves from Shion's chakra.

 _"But I'm fairly certain that you'll keep your perfect chakra control as long as you keep practicing as you grow, which shouldn't be a problem really. It's an innate thing, so it won't go away. Even if it falls a little, you've got better control than even grown and successful shinobi, yeah. Kind of irritates me, since it took me so long to get my chakra control at the level required for fuuinjutsu and genjutsu. I'll have to teach them to you at some point. You'd do well, and creating your own storage scrolls is the fucking best."_

Sakura smiles, pleased with this development. She thinks it's a good reason to celebrate by going out to buy some sweets, so she finishes tending to her garden to do just that.

Father is at work, saying something about new tea imports. Kakashi is on a long-term mission, which he relayed to her with a solemn resignation before leaving. Shion advised that he needs lots of physical contact or he'll start feeling neglected and a neglected Kakashi is an even more pitiable Kakashi.

It's becoming really hard to see Kakashi as a human rather than an overgrown dog with nice hair. She still tries, sometimes.

She locks the front door before beginning her journey, paying little attention to the people around her whilst still attempting to be alert. The instinct to detect danger and the like is something she has to work for, Shion says. Something that her body reacts to without a second's thought.

Perhaps one would argue that there's no need for that in Konoha, but Sakura knows otherwise. The ones that dwell with the roots of the trees corrupt it, but it's not a problem that she particularly cares about. Not yet, at least.

Kakashi had nearly become part of that, but Shion had convinced him that having a seal that can blow him up if he's captured on his tongue isn't that great. Especially when it's by some old toad of a man with some weird habits involving children. Father doesn't like the man much either, but business is business. He still worries she's going to get caught up in that.

She doubts it will be in the way he fears. Shion abhors the man and will send her into a coma if she chooses to become one of his many little dolls. Like a disturbing harem of brainwashed children that do _all_ of his bidding.

Sakura's stomach churns with disgust, whilst Shion chortles. She's been tainted by Shion, for the disturbing image in her head would never have come to mind if not for her.

 _"Understanding innuendos at four, what an accomplishment. I'm proud of you, sugar plum, you're going places. Hell, maybe, but who knows? Perhaps you'll get my peculiar habit to remain existing in the living realm long after I've died, yeah. I feel like this reptilian freak without a nose and a severe case of thanatophobia, which would then make you a bespectacled kid with a cool lightning bolt on his forehead. Which is actually a mark to signify that the said reptilian freak has sealed apart of himself inside of the said bespectacled kid, in the form of some ugly snake baby."_

Sometimes, Shion talks about nonsensical things. It's like a joke to herself, but one that has lost a large sense of memorability and familiarity. Too many years and too many memories, so what remains of forgotten memories is intuition. Or so Shion says.

Sakura doesn't mind. Shion's voice has become soothing despite its scratchiness. She's not sure that she would adjust so well if their roles were reversed, but it's likely that baby Shion would have died because Sakura doesn't yet have the skill to forcefully create a seal that stores and returns chakra like the way the heart does with blood. Then to modify it without the main consciousness needing to be aware…

It's taken her a while to realise just how impressive Shion is, but she supposes that she hasn't had anyone to really compare Shion to. Shion's feats are normal and expected, like the strange act would be her failing. Perhaps that's why prodigies are seen the way they are.

"Thank you." Sakura murmurs, sidestepping an older child about to run into her. Shion hums with acknowledged bemusement. "For saving me after I was born. I know that you would have died with me… but thank you."

Shion makes a sound reminiscent to one clicking their tongue. _"You're important, jelly bean. I don't remember how, but you are. There's a story here, that I've forgotten. I might have changed it in my last life, but it's still there. And you're a part of it, yeah."_

Shion's voice is so sure that Sakura doesn't doubt it for a moment. It makes a pleasant sensation tickle her chest.

 _"Also, you're welcome. I know I'm awesome."_

* * *

Sakura's beginning to grow tired of being accosted by children every time she leaves the house. It's only the second time so far, but one time was enough times. This time it's a single child, one with vibrant hair of… bumblebee. If there's one thing she's gotten from Mother other than a variant shade of her eyes, it's Mother's incessant need to use names of shades instead of 'bright yellow' or the like.

His eyes are also shiny. The colour of sapphires that illuminate as the sun hits them with a natural charisma. It's really quite unnerving, because it's almost like this child is from a book written for boys. Especially when there are distinctive whisker marks on his cheeks, reminding her of a fox.

 _"Dear Jesus, that's my nephew!"_ Shion exclaims, as if in sudden realisation. _"Fuck me, I forgot I had a nephew!"_

Sakura's sense of absurdity has come back into play as she frowns at Shion's nephew, who looks like he's about to tackle her to the ground with how quickly he's advancing. She wonders if she should run before he can reach her, but it's too late. His adorable, unnerving face with his perfect teeth is in her own face.

"Hey, there." he grins, placing his hands behind his head. She's misjudged him, thinking his charisma type is obnoxiously exuberant. His bangs are hanging in his eyes and it's beginning to bother her. "You're cute."

Sakura is stumped, and Shion bursts into deranged laughter. _"My god, he's already so much like his father! Smooth, baby cheeks, smooth."_

"Uh…" she struggles with forming a response to that. "Thank you?" her voice rises in pitch and uncertainty, because it's the first time someone other than Father and Shion has called her cute.

Shion's nephew beams at her. "I'm Naruto. And you're Sakura, right?" he outstretches his hand, refusing to reply to her visual cue for him to explain why he knows that.

Then she thinks back to when Arata and his gang accosted her a few weeks prior. "Were you hiding in the trees that time…?" she frowns, because that's creepy and suspicious. His responding smile is answer enough.

 _"A stalker like his father too, damn."_ Shion snorts at this.

"Hey!" he raises his hands in surrender, both of them ignoring the fact that she didn't shake his hand. "I was just there when it happened! Not like I was following you or anything." which makes him sound even more suspicious. Then again, finding people hanging in trees isn't that uncommon.

"So why are you here now?" she queries, tilting her head and analysing him. He's wearing a shirt with a familiar symbol on it, one that's in Shion's fuuinjutsu. She only knows that because Kakashi has learned a few of Shion's techniques.

Naruto looks to the side for a moment, before looking back at the rhombus on her forehead then to the higanbana in her hair. "I thought you looked cute… but that you also look like Shion-nee from all the photos I have of her and kaa-chan and tou-chan."

 _"Kushina and Minato are dead, and I don't know whether the fucking Hokage is making sure someone is looking after him or not, yeah. Fuck sake."_

Sakura decides that she might as well learn a bit more about Shion's nephew named after some ingredient in ramen.

* * *

What Sakura notes whilst spending time with Naruto is that he's fairly popular. Not outrageously so, but there are many vendors and random civilians that greet him as they pass by. She still thinks he's a little unnatural, with other's treatment of him only enhancing the thought.

She bets he has an exceptional backstory where he's related to one of the four Hokage or something. It only seems fitting for a person like him. Would that make Shion an important figure?

Despite her suspicions, she does appreciate that he seems to be on her level when it comes to his vocabulary and comprehension. She's learned that they're the same age with her being a few months older and it's made her respect him just a little bit more. As well as a little more suspicious.

Private training, perhaps?

"So is that red diamond on your forehead a tattoo or a clan marking?" Naruto questions her, after many other questions in regards to her eating preferences and hobbies. They share a hobby of gardening and promise to exchange tips at some point in the future. The thought is mildly pleasant.

"A seal." she answers honestly, but decides to refrain from revealing Shion's existence. She can't be too sure of him keeping it a secret, because Shion doesn't know Naruto like she knows Kakashi. It was also a onetime situation because Shion had taught her not to spill her guts to anyone that mentions the woman stuck in her head. "I was born with too much chakra. This seal regulates it."

Naruto does a proficient attempt at whistling. "That's pretty cool. Shion-nee and Mito-baachan both had those on their foreheads, but I don't know if they were seals too."

"You talk of your family a lot even though they're all dead and you've never met them." she notes, and then Shion makes an abrupt sound of surprised amusement. Perhaps that was too harsh to say, but Shion's too busy cackling to tell her if so.

Her current companion stops with a frown, looking ahead with a complex look in his eyes. "I guess… that it's because they're dead that I talk about them. I mean… at least to me, it makes them feel alive." he replies, although she doesn't understand very well. She's never really experienced loss.

"I don't understand." she admits. "But I'll take your word for it. Why do you call your aunt Shion-nee?"

Naruto blinks, taking a moment to adjust to her pace. "Well," he grins, scratching his cheek, "she looks too young in the photos. She had these mean bags under her eyes, because I hear she had… chronic insomnia or something, but she still looked really young."

They continue walking, and Shion has quietened down. "Do you know how she died?"

"Ojiisan says that she died whilst on an ANBU mission with her partner. She had this cool technique to accelerate the healing process of her cells, but it wasn't like Tsunade-baachan's technique so it took large chunks of her lifespan instead of however much Tsunade-baachan's technique would. Tsunade-baachan's ojiisan's former student, you know, one of the Sannin?"

 _"Tsunade and I got along, for the most part. She learned the Byakugou no In from Mito ̶ my great-aunt or some shit ̶ like myself, but I was never interested in medical ninjutsu. Mostly because Orochimaru kept wanting me as a medical assistant and I wanted to spite him. I did manage to use my own chakra to create the technique Minato Jr.'s talking about with him. Makes me wonder if he somehow succeeded in modifying it for his own thanatophobic needs, the weirdo."_

"She left, didn't she?" Sakura asks, remembering the textbooks dedicated to the Sannin. Tsunade had left to become a wandering medic after the death of her partner, whilst her partner's niece remained to someday take over the hospital.

Naruto cracks his neck. "She comes by occasionally to check up on things like Hentai-sensei, and sometimes the other weird one comes too. He's usually in some basement, doing strange things to animals or something." he answers, before touching a lock of her hair. "You know, I really like your hair."

 _"Careful, sugar plum. He might fuck you up in the future with his unnerving charisma."_ Shion chuckles, although Sakura is honestly concerned about that.

She's not sure how to deal with a boy liking things about her appearance. She doesn't spend too much time looking at herself, in favour of more important things. Sometimes she forgets the colour of her eyes or the faint scar under her left eye from playing with a kunai with uncooperative hands.

"I…" she pauses, looking at him and trying to think of something pleasing about him. "I like that you appear to be on my mental level."

His eyes widen, then he begins to laugh. "Yeah," he confirms, "I like that about you too, Sakura-chan."

 _"Tiny adults,"_ Shion murmurs, _"Adorable little adults with one being my nephew. Adorable."_

* * *

Kakashi comes home and bleeds all over her floor, which Sakura knows she's not going to bother cleaning. When he sees her, she can't help but see him as a battered puppy waiting to be welcomed home. It's rather discomforting, but Sakura has gotten used to it for the most part.

She's been taking Shion's advice, making sure to rarely mention anything about her and what she's thinking. Kakashi then takes his cues to remain silent on the subject, which brings more room for him to build a bond with just Sakura.

Though they know that Sakura has adopted many of Shion's traits, there's the large factor of Sakura's personality and speech being vastly different to Shion's. Kakashi's able to differentiate, but Sakura suspects that this is more like a transference of dog owner than anything else.

Kakashi isn't unintelligent, of course, but it's in his nature to immediately think of Shion whenever Sakura does something Shion would do. She sighs, because it's complicated and she really doesn't want to think too much on it.

At the very least, Shion has noticed that Kakashi says Sakura's name with a tone akin to personable rather than his usual solemnity. The way he says Shion's name is reminiscent to despaired longing, which really just makes the entire room more depressing.

 _"So I might have made him rely on me a bit too much, my bad. I didn't expect to die so soon, yeah."_

Sakura walks over to her drawer, pulling out her medical supplies and then walking over to him. She kneels down beside him, then stares for a moment. The sense of urgency is absent, since Kakashi knows to go to the hospital if it's fatal. Shion had to beat that into him, so the blood is misleading.

"Okaeri, Kakashi." she smiles, reaching up and removing his hitai-ate then lowering his mask. He's an attractive man, but she sincerely hopes that his romantic feelings towards Shion don't transfer over to her. That would be… well, uncomfortable for the most part. Father recommends when she becomes a chuunin, but the thought of ever becoming his girlfriend with his former girlfriend in her head is just strange.

But life has led her to expect the absurd in life, so it could be possible. Her young age means there's a lot of room for change.

"Tadaima." he croaks, his eyes mismatched eyes softening as a smile forms on his face. Her heart clenches, because he's endearing in a puppy sort of way. She thinks becoming his girlfriend would be like becoming her dog's girlfriend.

This is a thought that's relayed to Shion, and Shion figuratively dies from her guffawing.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,695

 **Total Word Count:** 6,728

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** I had thought to make Sakura a little more like a child in the beginning, but apparently that doesn't seem to fit with some things. Then you have Naruto, but here's to hoping that you can still make out that they're children if you squint hard enough. Also just saying that the pace appears to be sort... monthly? Depending.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, theories on some things and where you think it's going to go. But it's cool if you're lurking. At least you're reading it and I appreciate that.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	3. Unexpected Gifts and Monsters

**A/N:** Day three. There seems to be something up with FanFiction, because I can't see some of your reviews. Therefore, I can't respond.

* * *

A few months after Kakashi's arrival and a few months before her first year at the Academy, Father comes home with a child so pasty white that it hurts her eyes. It goes against his dark hair and near-empty eyes, which indicates to her that this child belongs to the weird old man in the basement.

"Cupcake!" Father exclaims, lunging after her with an exaggeration to his movement. "That turd of an old fart _'gifted'_ me this brainwashed little fish as a sign of goodwill! Konoha's doomed with disturbing and bandaged men, I say!" there's more to the story, but she doesn't need to know everything.

Sakura pats Father's shoulder in consolation. "But why him?" she queries, looking over his shoulder to meet sable eyes now alight with an off sense of intrigue.

Father releases her, standing up straight and groaning as he cracks his back. "Apparently it's because he's artistic and that reminds my business associate of you, which is really gross and creepy. I know he wants you, to make you bend to his will like a good little butterfly." his contorted expression matches her own, but Shion snorts.

"Does he have a name?" she asks, turning her attention back onto the child gifted onto the Haruno family. She steps closer, and his eyes follow her and meet her eyes without hesitation. He hasn't blinked yet, she doesn't think.

The rustle of Father's clothes inform her that he's shrugged. "You get to name him. He can be your second pet, we've got the room after all." he mutters something about taking in strays before disappearing into the kitchen where Kakashi's making dinner. They're having fish again.

Sakura and the child before her stare at one another, hers assessing and his fascinated. "Tell me what's on your mind." she orders him, though it's more of a request. His upbringing demands that he listen to her regardless of what he wants to do.

"I want to draw you." he answers, his monotone distinct. "No… I want to paint you. You are colourful and it aesthetically pleasing despite the clashing of pink and red."

 _"Aren't you popular with the weird little boys, sugar plum?"_ Shion comments, both amused and mildly exasperated. Sakura wasn't expecting to be seen in a pleasant way by a body brainwashed by some elderly wacko who hangs out in underground palaces either.

He leans in, examining at the seal on her forehead but in an invasive manner. She feels his breath on her face and leans back with a consternated expression.

"I am yours now." he informs her, though she already knows. "Whatever you wish to do with my life, I will follow you without hesitation." and this is where she reaffirms that it's really shady, what a councilman is doing in the shadows.

She sighs, grabbing his hand and beginning to lead him to the kitchen. "You name is Sai now. Remember your own words." she replies, noting the way his fingers begin to wrap around her hand.

 _"I've had some weird shit happen in my lives, but I'm thinking that they don't even compare to now, yeah. Or… well, maybe not. It's still some shit though."_

Although this is Sakura's normality, even she knows that it's really quite strange.

Little girls usually have _animals_ as pets, after all.

* * *

Sai would possibly be what Kakashi would be if the elder male wasn't an active and highly successful shinobi obligated to go on missions. She's gained a second shadow, which at first was rather disconcerting since she's used to being by herself. Shion, of course, doesn't count. Now, it's just become yet another part of her normality.

She's encouraged him to speak his mind, but he makes her wonder if the way she sees him is the way others see her. Then she thinks that her voice doesn't sound as void of emotion as his does. He's a work in progress, but she agrees with Shion as to the beginning of a pattern with taking in stray and damaged males.

What Sakura does like about Sai is that he's exceptionally gifted with art. His drawings and paintings litter the walls of their home, just like how Kakashi's pack litters the floor whenever they're free. Father agrees that home is becoming more lively, even though the majority of occupants are socially stunted in some way. Or… maybe they're all socially stunted in their own ways?

The thought seems to solidify when she and Sai become the ostracised pair in their Academy class. They're too intelligent, too far above their peers and too different in terms of mentality. She understands that it would cause a rift, because it's human nature to be wary of those that are different. To be wary of anything different or out of their norm.

Bullying is once again attempted, but it's Sai who makes their accosters cry. Sakura has lost interest in trying to convince them that there are better ways than isolating them. Perhaps there aren't, perhaps the distance is something they just can't close.

The Academy offers her an experience that's unforgettable but one that's being particularly unpleasant. Lessons taught to her are ones she's already learned and all that's left are the ninja rules and the beginning of conditioning village loyalty onto the children.

It's not long until she and Sai transfer into another class, one that's primarily filled with clan children as the one before primarily held civilian children. Though both have the same end goal of a ninja career, there's still the struggle of status between clans and civilians. They stand in front of the class, and Sakura sees a few familiar faces, some more so than others. A certain blonde is beaming at her with those blinding teeth again.

"We have two students transferring from the civilian class," her new teacher ̶ Umino Iruka, a fairly young chuunin ̶ announces, "so be quiet and let them introduce themselves!"

Sakura doesn't like that all their eyes are on her, and that she can see them whispering amongst each other and creating hasty judgements. She knows that she appears to be quite bizarre in comparison to some nondescript children, so it's understandable that she draws attention. Sai too, has a distinct appearance and she bets they make quite the pair. It doesn't usually matter when they're at home, in a house occupied by weirdos with all of them wearing flower crowns made of higanbana.

Although only her flower crown has been tainted with her blood and preserved to last for eternity.

"I'm Haruno Sakura and this is my brother, Haruno Sai." she introduces both herself and Sai, because Sai is drawing and she doesn't like to bother him much when he does. Even though he multitasks. They look nothing alike, so the whispers grow and become white noise.

It would be quite suspicious if Father was to say the truth about Sai's arrival, so of course Sai had to be officially adopted into the Haruno family. They both hope that it's the last time his business associate imparts any live gifts.

"We transferred here because our former peers were intimidated by our superior capabilities." Sai reveals to the class, without bothering to even look up. Sakura yawns and feels the joint of her jaw click. "I think that if nothing changes, Sakura-neesama, we graduate early just to be rid of it all."

"That's plausible." she responds, much to the outrage of their new peers. "Highly plausible." the downside would be more time doing missions rather than personal training.

Then she feels her skin tingle with discomfort, her eyes sliding over to meet a pair of eyes almost similar to Sai's. They're different because… well, they're eerie and focusing on her with far too much intensity. Then again, it's a known fact that Uchiha are super creepy and have a high tendency for obsessive behaviour. It's no wonder they're isolated from the rest of the village.

 _"I swear to all things unholy, jelly bean, you need to stop fucking grabbing the attention of mentally ill boys! Especially ones from that forsaken clan, dear lord, being inside their compound is a fucking abnormal acid trip, yeah."_ Shion makes a sound akin to one shivering in discomfort, seeming as lively as ever despite her having been 'asleep' only moment ago. Then again, Shion can feel the tingles in Sakura's skin from the Uchiha boy's stare.

Said Uchiha boy's stare is broken when Naruto smacks a hand against the back of hair that looks both spiky and fluffy at the same time. "Staring at a pretty girl like an obsessive serial killer is not the way to make friends, Sasuke." he chides, apparently unmoved by the stare he'd just described being directed at him.

"I want to go home." Sai murmurs, shuffling closer to her as Iruka attempts to calm his class without success. She nods in agreement, because it's difficult being surrounded by so many other children.

"Let's just… go. I feel like some dango." she answers, and the two jump out the window to temporary freedom.

A certain pair of eyes makes their stare burn into the skin of her back.

* * *

Sakura contemplates if it's the unique scent she's created with the higanbana that draws particular boys to her, as she stares into eyes are far more intense than the younger version of the owner. Maybe she's just unlucky, or perhaps it could be because of the story Shion had told her about a while back.

Whatever the case, she doesn't like that she's have a staring contest with the Uchiha clan's prodigy. He smells like blood and graceful insanity, despite the almost serene expression on his aesthetically appealing face. Its attractiveness is ruined by the freakish aura he's drowning in like too much perfume.

Before she blinks for possibly the third time in a manner of minutes, he invades into her personal bubble and begins to brush his fingers along her cheek. He's studying her, and she's just trying not to let the goose bumps break out. Her stomach churns with discomfort and apprehension, though she notices that his eyelashes are what many would be envious of.

They continue to have a strange interaction in silence, until his eyes slide up to the seal on her forehead. His fingers barely touch the surface of it, but she's unable to contain her shiver and instinctive need to step back. He follows her with one smooth step, still fixated on her seal. His movements are so fluid that it feels wrong.

"You strongly remind me of someone, Sakura-chan." Uchiha Itachi whispers, his soft voice the kind to entice and lead people to their deaths. Her heart thumps in her chest, and she wonders why Shion is so quiet. She doesn't question why he knows her name, because the answer obvious when it's someone like him.

Sakura thinks of replying, but she doesn't trust her voice. He makes her feel like the floor will crumble beneath her at any moment, as though nothing is certain. It isn't. Not with him.

"I admired her greatly." a smile plays on his lips and she's deeply unsettled. "She taught me freedom… and that I should fight for it if I want it so badly, regardless of what others want of me." his words are like a caress from a predator, which is quite the feat. He's only ten, so it makes everything a little more ominous.

He backs her into the wall of the nearby building, the street they're occupying isolated. He cornered her when Sai went onto an errand, and it makes her curious to know how long he's been following her. Then again, she's also not. Perhaps he hasn't and it's a moment of coincidence, though with ninja that seems unlikely.

Itachi plays with a lock of her hair, his entire demeanour at ease whilst hers is so tense she feels like she's going to snap at any moment. His eyes are terrifying when they're obsidian. How much worse are his eyes when they're garnet? Some part of her knows. There are stories of the child born to lead a damned clan.

"Then she died…" his fingers twitch and in response, her own body twitches. "Perhaps you know of her." he leans in, almost pressing her into the wall with his body. She's almost on the tip of her toes, trying in vain to put some distance between them.

Other villages say that Konohagakure is too soft, but it's strange that it seems to house a clan full of budding monsters wearing human skin.

"Why would I…?" she manages to say without wavering, though her severe unease of his being is evident. He could kill her within a moment, or he could torture her for days. It would depend on him and his mood.

His smile widens, making her feel like she's fallen into his trap. "Because I can _feel_ her chakra inside of you, Sakura-chan." he reveals to her, making her heart jump. His hands cup her cheeks and he tilts her head to the side, though he's nothing but gentle. It makes everything worse. "Is she there, inside your head? If it were her in control, she would not be so… _afraid_."

Sakura doesn't want to admit that he's right, doesn't want to admit that he's figured her out. She's conflicted, unsure of whether to be honest or not.

 _"Go to sleep, sugar bean."_ Shion commands, her voice an unnerving sort of calm. Sakura listens without much hesitation.

* * *

When Sakura wakes up, she's surprised to that she finds herself in her bed with an overgrown puppy hugging the life out of her. Or perhaps that's an exaggeration, but her point is that it's strange because Kakashi doesn't usually sleep with her. One reason being that her bed is particularly small. He's basically curled himself around her, engulfing her body with a content expression on his sleeping face.

Shion misses Kakashi too, Sakura understands. Shion has never taken over her body before, so Sakura believes that the threat of Uchiha Itachi must be phenomenal. It's hardly surprising, because whilst his touches and words were soft, she felt like she was suffocating just by him existing near her.

"Kakashi." she murmurs, attempting to sit up. His eyes open, though one shuts soon after. He stares at her in silence for an extended moment and she lets him readjust.

"I'm struggling, Sakura…" Kakashi whispers to her, his arms loosening around her but not removing themselves. "It's so hard to let go when I know she's there… She told me that this was her farewell, because she never got to say that."

Sakura touches his cheek, her thumb brushing away tears about to slide across his nose and onto her pillow. "I'm sorry." she apologises, because though there are many other things she could say, she doesn't want to. It's hard for her to have a proper connection with most people, but she pities the man lying in her bed.

"But I'm your family now, you see." she informs him, shifting so that she's almost leaning over him. "Tou-chan is your family, and so is Sai. We're dysfunctional and peculiar, but we're still your family. Shion may be in my head, but she's still dead. You need to focus on the living before they're dead and buried in the ground as well."

Kakashi sniffles, which is precious. Then she realises that their roles seem to have been reversed. Isn't it meant to be the older one that thinks the younger adorable?

"I understand…" he answers, lifting a hand and sliding it under her hair to grasp the side of her neck. "I focus too much on the past. Shion always chided me for that… I'll focus on the living. On you and Kizashi and Sai."

She smiles, for Shion's cooing almost mockingly for such an important event. "Good. Now get off my bed, please. Your scent will be stuck all over it for days."

Kakashi does the opposite, instead bringing her back down and clutching her in his arms. "Dogs like affection, Sakura… We're bonding." he comments like a pampered puppy, and she can't tell whether he's playing her or being completely serious.

 _"It's his way of saying he accepts you as you, sugar plum. You thought he was needy before, now he'll be more vocal about it. Ha! Good luck, babe, good luck."_

Sakura contemplates the pros and cons of such a situation. But she thinks that the desperation in his hugs have decreased somewhat. It's still there, but she can finally feel the warmth and think that it's progress at least.

"Sai's going to come in and think we're fornicating." she mutters, as a thought. "Or did. Then he'll question whether or not it was painful because of how small I am, then ask you if you understand what a paedophile is."

Kakashi's form disappears out the window just as the door to her room opens. Sai stands by the entrance, his bed hair the most prominent feature of his appearance at the moment. She'll have to brush it after their bath.

"Sakura-neesama." he greets her as she sits up and yawns. "I thought I felt a dog littering about in your room. I was curious as to why it would be in here so early in the morning, but it seems to be gone now. Did it run?" he tilts his head, a habit taken from her.

Her curtain flutters against the back of her head, reminding her of the wide open window above her bed. "It went for a run, yes." she confirms, glancing out the window.

Sai follows her line of sight after she's turned back, but then returns his attention to her. "Breakfast?"

She nods, flinging the blanket off of her.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,970

 **Total Word Count:** 9,698

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** So whilst I had planned for Itachi for be, you know, psychotic, I wasn't expecting the intensity. But I suppose that's the fun of letting my imagination take me places. Sai also wasn't there, but he is now and he's apart of Team Seven too even if he's not part of the original. Yamato might have to make an appearance if I go by that line of thought.

To explain the Uchiha, I consulted with my beta because we wanted to see a different version of them. Rather than their usual arrogance and whatever, it would be pretty terrifying to know that there's a clan with hallucinogenic (I hope that's the word) eyes that are mentally ill and have a high tendency for obsession.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	4. The Best Friend Group

**A/N:** Day four. Figured out a way to reply to reviews even if I can't see them on FanFiction itself. Although, I still might not be able to see some like Bloodmoon Goddess because I don't seem to get the email?

* * *

Naruto has a sway over the class, his peers gravitating over to him easily as insects to light. They stay a respectable emotional distance away because of his chosen best friend, who's about as socially stunted as Sai. The fortunate part about Sai is that he doesn't have a permanent aura of unease, so perhaps Sasuke is on another level of socially stunted.

The unfortunate part is that Naruto wants to add her and by extension, Sai to the little 'best friend' group. She likes Naruto, but Sasuke makes her uncomfortable. All he does is stare and though he's nowhere near the level of his brother, she still doesn't like it.

It's giving her urges to poke his eyes and then what would happen if she becomes the sole reason why the spare loses his ability to even see, let alone awaken the Sharingan? They'd demand something from her and that's never a good thing from the Uchiha.

"So, Sakura-chan, this is my weirdo of a best friend, Sasuke! Our parents knew each other," he explains, placing his arms behind his head, "so Mikoto-obasan made sure that he and I met. We've stuck together ever since then. Don't know how, but whatever."

Sasuke continues to stare, which is really beginning to ruin her mood. It's a shame that the Uchiha are so attractive, because it's the first step to drawing attention and walking closer into their trap.

"Itachi-nii has photos of you in his room." the Uchiha reveals to her with the smooth monotone of a child, prompting Shion to release an abrupt laugh of surprise. Sakura's expression clearly demonstrates how she feels about that news. Naruto too, shares her feelings as he looks at his best friend with extreme concern.

Sai blinks at her side, pausing in his art to look up. "That is rather concerning. Why would your prodigious brother have photos of Sakura-neesama in his room?" he queries, tilting his head in curiosity.

Sasuke slowly turns his head to stare at Sai, before writing him off and returning his gaze to her. "He has asked me to befriend you, so I will. He did not explain why, so if you wish to understand more it is recommended you seek him out yourself."

No, Sakura doesn't want to interact with his brother any more than necessary. Or ever, if possible. "Are we friends, Naruto?" she questions the blonde, who turns his disconcerted expression over to her.

His expression then morphs into one that informs her the answer should be obvious. "Clearly. I mean, it's uh, sort of nice that this creep wants to befriend you… but you can see he's a little messed up in the head. I'm trying my best to make him somewhat socially acceptable so he doesn't scare everyone he meets away, you know."

"You are doing a terrible job." Sai informs him with a smile meant to imitate Father's pleasant expression. It doesn't work as well, but it has an effect at least.

Naruto rolls his eyes as he scratches his head. "Gee, thanks. But it's not really my fault. His brother is probably the worst of them all in terms of eerie personalities, you know? Sasuke idolises him." he explains, looking at Sasuke who glances at him. But Sasuke isn't all that interested, thinking her more interesting to look at. Shion hums with mild irritation.

Finally, she sighs. "Fine, it doesn't matter. Let's be friends, I'm already too deep in the absurdity. Just never invite over me over to your house, because I won't accept." if Sasuke is an example, then every Uchiha in the compound will stare and that's a terrifying image to imagine. They're not even the worst of the lot, either.

Sasuke's lips twitch until there's a skewed smile on his face. Naruto looks as put off as she feels. "You and I… are going to be very close." he tells her, with an almost affectionate lilt to his monotone. "I will bond you to me."

 _"Alright! Get the fuck out of there, that's too much Uchiha weirdness, yeah."_ Shion advises, and Sakura listens without a moment's hesitation. Sai obediently follows.

* * *

On the days that Kakashi is free, he trains with her and Sai. The elder shinobi is slowly opening up, the crinkling of his eye becoming more and more of an occurrence. He's still rather solemn, having it soaked too deep into his soul, but he's not beyond the point of no return.

Father has become more busy of late, returning home late in the evening and cradling her if she happens to be awake. She listens to his complaints and uses her knowledge of the human body to help loosen his muscles. Running a shady business underneath the actually legitimate business of tea imports is a difficult task, after all.

They sit in a private training ground together, one with luscious grass yet to be destroyed by abuse. It's a nice day, she thinks. Sai is likely to draw some clouds today.

"Even summons are susceptible to genjutsu…" Kakashi informs her as she holds onto Pakkun, whose nose is twitching and occasionally causing him to sneeze. It's the fault of her higanbana crown, but he has to grow accustomed to it because the genjutsu used in conjunction with the flowers isn't picky with who gets caught. Just in case they fight together in the future.

Shion was once a fuuinjutsu master and genjutsu specialist, so Sakura learns about those two subjects from her. She knows that Shion could pick apart and destroy her mind, thereby killing her and wearing her body. Of course, she doesn't because Shion actually likes her and is fine with the fact that she's basically tagging along for another's ride of life.

Still, as part of Sakura's lessons, Shion is able to mess with her mind. The bird that chirps could be a lie, like the scent in the wind or the length of the grass. They're small things, but she has to actively look for them so subtlety is required. It's to help improve her spatial awareness among other things. Then, when she sleeps…

Shion shows her the ugly truth of the ninja career. She was capable of cruelty, and Shion doesn't apologise with sincerity for the actions that have sullied her hands. Sakura doesn't judge her, nor does she damn her for previous sins. They understand one another.

Sakura learns to understand the human mind in ways are unnerving and invasive. Shion makes her learn of her own fears, and she subjects her to them. Sometimes, she wonders why Shion wasn't more renowned in her lifetime.

"It's harder to trap them though, as all summons have a natural resistance to genjutsu…" Kakashi continues, glancing at Sai who's practising his _Chouju Giga_ technique at her side. This is their break time before training resumes.

"I suppose it's easier to just hit them hard enough, so they pop out of existence." she comments, marvelling over the fact that Pakkun's hair is as soft as it is. Pakkun gives an adorable howl of pleasure as she scratches behind his ear, curling further into her. "But with summons with acute senses of smell, I'd assume the chances of success are higher."

Kakashi considers, then nods. His sharp nose means the strength of the scent is stronger. "The Inuzuka are especially susceptible…" then he looks off into the distance, contemplating.

"The specified amount of time has passed." Sai announces, moving to stand. She follows, cracking her back by stretching it. Pakkun from her arms to the ground and by his summoner.

"Run." Kakashi orders with little inflection, but they listen anyway.

* * *

Sakura doesn't mean to, but she takes advantage of her opponent's weakness by grabbing their face. Their vision isn't blocked, but her split-second intention is to slam them down into the ground, and she does so with much more force than she intends.

She realises her mistake the moment Iruka yells for her to step back, Hyuuga Hinata's body lying limp on the dirty ground. Iruka does the wrong thing by picking up the girl up, as she's likely caused a concussion, but he's gone before she can advise him. All that's left is a dumbfounded class that surrounds her and stares.

"Why'd you have to do that?!" a voice three pitches too high demands, grabbing her attention. She turns, meeting sky irises with blending pupils. "Hinata-chan didn't deserve that!"

Yamanaka Ino is a popular girl, but she has a strange fascination with Sasuke that Sakura can't relate to. Sasuke's cute, but… well, his personality is a self-explanatory reason as to why a relationship shouldn't be pursued. It makes her question whether the Yamanaka heiress is mentally unstable.

"I saw an opening," Sakura answers, examining the other girl, "and I took it. I miscalculated the appropriate force, however."

It's a shame that she's not particularly regretful. The Hyuuga heiress seems to have some kind of grudge against her for being closely associated with Naruto, whom seems to be a point of unrequited affection. Perhaps if the girl just talked to the blonde, things would progress.

The outrage of her class is turned into white noise as she approaches the trio of boys whom she has to consider friends. Naruto gives her a thoughtful look, if nothing else before congratulating her on her win and managing to scrounge them some free time. That makes her wonder if he cares about Hinata as another human being.

Sasuke stares. She pokes him in the forehead, with enough force to make him frown and step back. He proceeds to stare at her hand with enough intensity to make her fingers tingle.

"Shall we go get dango, Sakura-neesama?" Sai suggests, shutting his sketchbook to look to her for permission. "I heard they have a new type for sale."

"Yeah, let's go." Sakura replies, before turning her attention the Nara and Akimichi pair approaching her.

Her and her group remain in silence until the said pair stand before them, the Nara's eyes heavy-lidded and his shoulders slouched. "You skipping again?" he drawls in question, looking to her rather than anyone else. His eyes reveal the calculative nature of his clan, and the rest of his body reveals the lazy one.

"You want to join?" she guesses with a tilt of her head. When he nods in confirmation, she shrugs. "Alright."

* * *

The inclusion of Shikamaru and Chouji allows Naruto more room for conversation, as Sasuke and Sai aren't particularly great conversation partners for his casual talk. She and Sai have their own way of communication, which works just fine for them even if it discomforts others. She's tried to establish a relationship with Sasuke by seeing points of him that he likes, but it's incredibly difficult to not just say he's pretty and leave it at that.

His way of building their bond is by touching, which reminds her too much of his brother even if the tone of their touch is different. Sasuke's doesn't feel like he's trying mentally going through the motions of taking her apart and finding her core so he can steal it. The way Itachi makes her feel is something she's become intimate with from her genjutsu-laced dreams, and it's nothing pleasant. She's adjusting, though slowly.

It's still disconcerting, Sasuke's existence, because there's a degree of warped affection she's not ready to deal with. Ever. Especially when he once whispered to her that they're going to build a new legacy of the Uchiha together one day, which just sounds incredibly ominous.

In fact, because of the Uchiha problem, Shion taught her how to indefinitely keep her chakra signature concealed in case any other familiar faces visited to see what's up. Since Sakura is still young and their chakra hasn't completely mixed together to create a new signature, Shion's is the most prominent chakra and therefore recognisable to former associates.

Orochimaru is seen around Konoha sometimes, and though he's not a sensor, if they're ever in close proximity… Shion had a fairly positive relationship with the Snake Sannin, which happens to be bad because Orochimaru might want to experiment to see if he can get Shion back permanently. Sakura knows that it would end in her death if that were to ever happen.

Sometimes, she wonders what things would have been like if Shion wasn't with her. Would she be better off… or worse? After all, Shion's existence is a large mix of good and bad. Sakura decides not to think about it too much. There's no need for a 'what if' in regards to Shion.

" ̶ gets lost in her own thoughts, sometimes. Everything becomes white noise to her, but one way to get her back is to just stare at her. Sasuke here does it too much, like a creep, but sometimes I like to stare instead. She's the prettiest girl I've ever seen." Naruto's voice becomes more distinctive, and she thinks she's not supposed to hear what he's just said. However, he's already been straightforward about how he feels towards her appearance.

"Definitely never met a girl like her, that's for sure…" Shikamaru drawls, rubbing the back of his neck. He turns to find her gaze on him, which turns into a moment of thought before he directs her a smirk in acknowledgement before returning his attention ahead.

Sakura feels a strange sensation in her chest, and it's immediately rather bothersome. She's not sure what it is, but Shion seems to know when she laughs. Shion however, refuses to divulge her knowledge.

 _"Still a girl, even if you're a little different than the rest."_ she chuckles, like an amused elder sister. A mildly sadistic elder sister. _"You've still got to figure some things out for yourself, jelly bean."_

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,293

 **Total Word Count:** 11,991

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** Just realised that this is basically a chapter dedicated to Sakura's Academy class and that it's really weird. I had an original intention to put Sasuke and Sakura together in a skewed relationship because I low-key hate how canon attempts to make their relationship all sweet and cute in the end, when it's fucked up and it should be acknowledged. But whatever, so far that's changed since the story has a mind of its own and I like where it's taking me so far.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	5. Death by Fluff

**A/N:** Day five. I'm dying, but at least the reviews can be seen now.

* * *

She finds herself watching Shikamaru, analysing him and perhaps looking for something. He's somehow integrated himself and Chouji into the group, but she knows it's the fault of Naruto whose unnatural charisma is akin to a trap.

Shikamaru seems to be mirroring her actions, since she finds him watching her as she does to him. More often than not, the corners of his lips tilt up and it sets a fire onto Sakura's stomach. It's starting to really disturb her, but she soldiers through and has learned to smile back instead of frowning at him in puzzlement.

Her reprieve from their interactions is that he's not eerie like Sasuke, who appears to be struggling with taking cues from Naruto or a psychotic brother. Yet, Shikamaru's gaze seems to unsettle her in a way she's yet to figure out. At least they can have a proper conversation with minimal chance of being weirded out.

"You two keep glancing at each other." Sai observes, leaning on her and resting his head on her shoulder. She returns the gesture by resting her head on his, her higanbana genetically engineered to be more durable. So she doesn't worry about crushing its petals. It took a lot of work and so far she only has the one. "You and Shikamaru-san. Is this what they call the wordless conversation you have with your eyes?"

The class is out in one of the many nearby forests, meant to be an outdoor lesson but the substitute is struggling to contain an erratic Inuzuka and his dog. It's Sakura's fault, because she's been experimenting and they just happen to be great guinea pigs.

Her eyes slide over to the boy Sai's talking about, who's leaning against a tree with Chouji and Naruto. He feels her gaze, and turns to look at her. It feels like the world stops for just a moment, before he smirks and she smiles in return. She hopes it appears to be much calmer than how she feels inside.

"Like that." Sai says, shifting slightly. "Shikamaru-san is exceptionally smart, so perhaps he is most suitable to have a wordless conversation with you. Sasuke-san and Naruto-san are intelligent as well, but something appears to be missing… Human interaction is difficult to decipher."

Sakura hums in agreement. "There's something about him that makes me feel strange. I've yet to discover what it is." she admits, looking over to Sasuke attempting communication with Ino. The way he stares at the Yamanaka is bland, like there's nothing of interest in her. Sakura wishes he looked at her like that, rather than how he does.

It's unsurprising that his gaze feels predatory, but it's still terrifying because she fears his end goal. It doesn't appear to be murdering her and wearing her skin or something as gory. Somehow, she feels like she'd be better equipped to dealing with him if that was the case.

"Naruto-san appears to be good at social interaction, so perhaps it is best to consult him." Sai suggests, which actually sounds reasonable. "Hyuuga-san appears to be approaching us."

She cracks her neck, prompting Sai to sit up straight as Hinata approaches with a frown and her mouth set into a harsh line. Conflicted, because she's looking at the ground rather than at Sakura's eyes.

"Haruno-san…" the Hyuuga heiress starts, her soft voice belying the hard expression of her face. Sakura had apologised for harming her more than she intended, rather than because she harmed her at all. Hinata had accepted, though their interactions so far have all been… terse.

"Hyuuga-san." she nods, standing up so she's not being talked down to. "Is there something you need?"

Hinata takes a deep breathe, steeling herself. "Do you… like Naruto-kun, Haruno-san?" she inquires with all seriousness, throwing Sakura off. Her expression reflects that.

"He's my friend." Sakura replies, hesitant. She's implying that they wouldn't be friends if she didn't like him, but then there's Sasuke and that's just complicated. "Unless you mean in a different fashion, which you'll have to explain for me."

The lavender of Hinata's eyes really stand out when the pupil is visually absent, Sakura notes when the other girl finally looks her in the eyes.

"As in… do you want to become his girlfriend?" Hinata clarifies, and once again Sakura is surprised. Her first thought is that they're all around the age of six and having a romantic partner doesn't seem to be particularly important at the moment.

She frowns, revealing her bemusement. "I don't. Do you?" although she has an inkling that the answer is an obvious affirmative.

Hinata's pale cheeks redden and that's answer enough. "Th-then, I am sorry!" she exclaims, bowing down and causing Sakura to step back at the abrupt movement. "I… I had thought that you and Naruto-kun… He just, when you transferred in he… I am sorry for treating as I have!"

Sakura stares, then blinks as her face is wiped of emotion to properly digest what has happened. "I can introduce you to him, if that's what you want." she decides to offer, sighing as Sai stands beside her with the intention to follow.

The Hyuuga's head snaps up and her eyes light up. "Y-you would do that? I… Thank you!" then she stands up straight, and beams. It's radiant.

Sakura just doesn't understand what goes on anymore. Perhaps she never has.

* * *

Birthdays are something that aren't a big deal in Sakura's family, although Father bombards her with hugs and a sufficient amount of money to buy whatever takes her fancy. Her birthdays are always before the start of term, so she doesn't have to worry about celebrating with Naruto and others. Though they see each other outside of the Academy, they've always gathered at certain food restaurants or even training grounds if they feel like training together.

Her home is littered with seals and it's bothersome to have to input new signatures so they aren't seen as intruders and subsequently blown up or something. Naruto's house is guarded, so he thinks it ruins the mood. Sasuke's is out of the question and so they just don't bother with visiting houses.

However, returning to birthdays; to Naruto and others, his birthday is a big deal. It's a day of loss and a day of attainment, and she realises that there are those who see Naruto as a hero. He certainly has the shine for one.

 _"It's like they're not even trying to hide the fact that he's the fucking jinchuuriki, yeah."_ Shion clicks her tongue, or at least she makes the sound _. "Then you've got that fact that he's also an Uzumaki. Kushina was fucking kidnapped for her chakra, although I killed those fuckers. Nearly caused a war, but whatever."_

It would explain the fact that ANBU tail him all the time, which she's only recently become aware of because of sensory training from Shion. They don't make much of an effort to hide, which she thinks is to warn any possible threats that they're watching. Perhaps. She may be wrong.

Last year, she had spent the day with Kakashi and Sai at the cemetery like many other residents. She didn't know of Naruto's birthday that time, but she doubts she would have wanted to spend his birthday with him then either.

It's a day everyone is reminded of his existence, and it becomes crowded. There's even an event for this day, to remember the losses and the sacrifices made. The Sannin always attend, as a sign of respect and regret for not being there to help. It's more of a festival, to lift people's spirits and make something good out of something bad.

Sakura has no desire to meet the _Densetsu no Sannin_ , even though Naruto insists she does along with everyone else in their steadily growing group. All three of them knew Shion. Jiraiya from her interaction with Minato, Tsunade from her interaction with Mito and Orochimaru from pestering her to become his assistant. The last Sannin is the one she truly doesn't want to meet, even if her chakra's concealed. She doesn't know what Shion looked like, but she knows that she looks incredibly similar if she goes by what Naruto and others say.

"Come on, Sakura-chan!" Naruto whines, draping an arm around her shoulders. Her sidelong glance is one without amusement. "They've been wanting to meet you ever since I mentioned you to them soon after we met!" which means that they've known of her existence for two years at least.

"The Sannin want to meet Sakura?" Shikamaru queries after yawning, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. The other is still planted in his pocket. His eyes meet hers, causing her stomach to clench. He smiles with something akin to admiration and… well, some other emotion she's yet to decipher. "You're something else."

There's a certain sense of mortification that she can feel when her face begins to burn, as her fair complexion makes blushing far more prominent than she'd like. She tries to keep it subtle, even if it's doomed for failure.

Sometimes, she wishes Hinata hadn't made her realise why Shikamaru makes her feel strange. It's highly uncomfortable… _liking_ someone. Especially when there's a full grown woman in her mind who thinks it's all very amusing.

"If you continue to pressure Sakura-neesama, I will be forced to incapacitate you." Sai informs Naruto with an overly amicable smile. They appear to have some kind of rivalry, since Sai enjoys teasing and fighting Naruto. Sai would enjoy teasing Sasuke if only the weirdo would respond.

Hinata frowns, clearly conflicted as she looks at Sakura and Naruto's close proximity. Sakura sighs, because the situation between Naruto and Hinata is as cumbersome as her own situation with Shikamaru.

Shion laughs at it all, having even memorised who likes who. _"So, Hinata likes Naruto and Naruto likes your appearance far more than he should, yeah. Sasuke, the weird little shit, has an agenda to 'build a new Uchiha legacy' with you. That's a euphemism for him impregnating you, I'm sure. Chouji has a thing for Ino, who has a thing for Sasuke though I have no idea why. She might be messed up in the head too. Sai's forever alone, or he likes his sketchbook. You like Shikamaru, which is_ fucking _adorable, sugar bean!"_

Sakura tries not to burn up even more than she already is, but then realises Shion didn't say who Shikamaru likes. This is a question she directs to Shion using their mental link, as she's surrounded by her group of misfit friends and saying the question out loud would just ruin her day.

Shion hums, drawing out her answer and making Sakura anxious. _"Really, sugar plum?"_ she comments after a moment, apparently exasperated. _"It's so obvious that it's practically punched me in the face, which is_ your _face, yeah."_

Naruto has removed his arm around her to banter with Sai, who's recently gained a trait of perpetual smiling. Sasuke's exchanging words with a disturbed Hinata and Chouji's once again chewing on some kind of packaged snacks, at ease with the world. Shikamaru is walking closer to her, her heart thumping painfully against her chest in response.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" he asks her, looking to the side before meeting her eyes. He's still rubbing his neck, which she theorises to be a sign of discomfort. "You know, just us? Before Naruto drags you off."

Shion exclaims before bursting into mad laughter. _"Fuck me, this is some cute shit! Adorable little children with their drama, man. Silver bun should be around to take photos, damn."_ her laughter sounds more like she's lost her mind rather than because she's excited about children doing endearing things together. _"Are you going to answer, sugar plum? He might be feeling rejected."_

Sakura jolts back into reality, blinking and realising that she actually hasn't responded. Shikamaru smirks at her though, knowing her long enough now that she loses herself to her mind often. The thought of him understanding her makes her chest tingle.

"We'd… better be quick, if that's the case." she smiles, the sensation in her chest feeling like it's overflowing. They could run, but all members of the group are fast and Shikamaru's too lazy to put much effort in unless they're training. Even then it's questionable.

So she goes for the next best thing by stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him. She feels him tense, and herself burn. Shion coos as Sakura hopes he can't hear the beat of her heart. That would makes things even more awkward.

"It's faster this way." she whispers, before executing the _Shunshin no Jutsu_.

* * *

They sit together on the roof of one of the tallest buildings, only one pair of many other residents who occupy various other roofs. The ground below is lively and bright, but Sakura looks to the moon and finds that it's fitting for it to be full on Naruto's birthday. He's such a spectacular existence. It's gross.

Her skin begins to tingle, prompting her to turn to her easy going companion who's been chewing on a dango stick. He keeps her gaze for a moment before he looks away, lifting one hand to rub the side of his neck.

"It's so hard to figure you out." he comments with a sigh, sitting up and flinging the dango stick somewhere into the distance. Well, it wouldn't be the only thing littering the streets. "What do you think about when you get lost in your thoughts?" he frowns, appearing to be frustrated. "I want to know."

She hugs her knees a little tighter, feeling her face beginning to warm once more. It's becoming a nuisance now. "Most recently, I've been thinking a lot about you." Sakura confesses, then groans and feels her insides clench with severe regret.

Shion cackles with deranged triumph. _"Yeees, jelly bean!"_

Shikamaru's head snaps towards her faster than he ever likes to move, his eyes wide as he looks at her trying to hide her face in shame. Then, after a moment of stunned silence, he abruptly turns away and scratches the back of his head in a movement of anxiety.

"You… Don't surprise me like that!" he chides, though she can see his ears and the nape of his neck are red.

She smiles despite herself, because she rarely sees him so flustered and the sight of it is incredibly endearing. "You wanted to know, Shikamaru." she retorts, feeling surprisingly light. Is it from happiness? It's peculiar.

He groans, turning back to her with a frown but with his eyes looking somewhere other than her. "I didn't…" he exhales, calming himself. He's still flushed with colour. "I didn't think you'd say something like that. Don't girls usually want the guy to confess first? That's what kaa-san said."

Sakura blinks, frowning with thought. "Were you… going to confess?" she dares to ask, but he doesn't need to answer with words as his face is telling enough. Her chest hurts far more than she'd like, but then she supposes that even pleasant feelings can cause pain.

"You're really attention grabbing, you know." he states, adjusting himself to look over the bustling crowd below. "Tou-san saw you one time and thought you looked familiar. He has this look in his eyes when he sees something interesting, so then I started to wonder myself."

Sakura thinks that Shion was far too well-known in her life. She could always change her appearance by removing the higanbana and hiding her seal, but somehow that would feel wrong. Shion, though another person, has become a part of her. Sakura is who she is now because of Shion.

"But you're like a pretty puzzle." Shikamaru sighs, causing her face to redden once more. She wishes it would just stop already. "The more I know, the more interesting you get. Yet I still can't figure you out."

"Have you figured out that I like you yet?" she queries, because apparently her straightforward behaviour shrinks before no one even if she immediately feels mortified afterwards. Everything is so much easier when she's not emotionally attached in such a curious way.

Shikamaru closes his eyes with a frown, attempting to curb the blush from surfacing onto his skin. It ultimately fails, but she's glad for that.

"Have you figured out that _I_ like you yet?" he returns, chancing a glance at her. He blinks at what he sees, which she thinks must be a mess. But then he smiles, a smile that's wider and brighter than usual. "It's not fair that you're cute, smart _and_ talented."

Shion sobs in overjoyed pain, verbally expressing what Sakura feels inside. _"The fluff, dear Jesus! The fluff will be the death of my third life, what a way to go! Ugh, it's too much, yeah!"_

"I think you're smart and talented too." she laughs, almost hysterically from all the emotionally bubbling up and beginning to overflow. "But I'm not sure if it would hurt your male pride to say that I think you're cute too."

Shikamaru struggles to temper his flustered smile. "You're troublesome, you know that?"

* * *

Later in the night, though Shion supports the creation of bonds… she uses them against Sakura when she least expects it. She wakes up after having everything she cares about torn to pieces, destroyed beyond recognition. Devastation had felt so heavy that it could have literally manifested to crush her. For a moment, she forgot about these lessons of the mind.

 _"In this world, the things you care about can be taken from you and perverted, sugar bean. You need to experience life and build bonds, but you also need to learn that you have to be strong enough to protect them. I'd rather you not have to experience such a loss and realise that it's not a genjutsu, yeah. So, you know, just remember this. Not saying to isolate yourself like a little hermit, but well… I guess I'm trying to say that you should use your fear of losing them as motivation to become stronger, you know?"_ Shion sounds certain at first, then slowly goes down into uncertainty with her words. It's probably the last part, because it sounds rather inspirational.

However, she understands. Shion does things with Sakura's interest in mind, so there is little ill will between them. She takes a deep, calming breath before exhaling. Getting too caught up in boys and friends will make her lose sight, and the same goes for training so there needs to be a balance.

 _"Guh, ew. Look at me, trying to be all teacher-like and shit. Gross. I mean, you can't look at me but you know what I mean."_

Sakura smiles, because Shion certainly doesn't fit the general idea of a teacher what with her personality and the circumstance of her existence. They're a strange pair, but she's glad that they're able to work so well together.

"I don't have to get stronger alone, do I?" she murmurs in question, though it's more rhetorical than anything. Shion has always emphasised how improvement by yourself can only go so far before someone else has to lend a hand. It's an incredibly lonely existence to be alone all the time, and humans seek the comfort of others. Even monsters have feelings, she says.

 _"You know the answer already, sugar plum. Your baby daddy supports you financially, silver bun trains you and Sai trains with you. Then you have your misfit group of friends. You're not alone, yeah, so become a fucking badass machine with everyone's help. Is this too inspirational? Because I feel disgusted and like I'm going to throw up but I have no body, yeah."_

She grins, turning to her window. The moon is out of her view, so she opens her window to find it near the Hokage Rock. It's still full and bright, but Sakura has always that that its beauty is a solemn and lonely one. Perhaps that's too poetic of her to think, but it's her thoughts.

Her life is absurd, and she thinks that's alright. Her only worry is that her content with life will shatter in the next moment like waiting for the other shoe to drop, as the saying goes.

It's difficult being six and already possessing a cynical nature, but life would get boring if everything's too easy.

"To tomorrow, I suppose." she whispers to the wind.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,404

 **Total Word Count:** 15,395

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** Did you expect this? Maybe. Did I? No, but I'm okay with that so far. Going to sleep now, talk later.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	6. Friends and Family

**A/N:** Day... six?

* * *

Her body's been aching for a while now, because her chakra reserve is starting to expand in a faster manner. It's painful to go through her daily routines, which makes everything even more miserable. She goes through the motions regardless, because there's no gain without pain. Ignoring the technicalities that sometimes there _is_ gain without pain, she takes the phrase to heart.

Kakashi comes up from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and forcing her to sit in his lap, though his legs are on either side of her. She sighs with resignation, because dogs need affection. Sakura relaxes and leans against his chest. He's emitting a pampered aura, which makes her contemplate if she should just stop trying to view him as human and accept him as a dog in human's form.

"Kizashi's going to be gone on a business trip for a few months…" he informs her, gently swaying from side to side. At least he's happier, but she feels like one misstep could break him and she'd have to start all over again. "He promises to bring you and Sai presents."

Father's business is expanding, and she knows he has plans in regards to Gatou Company. That man plays the same game as Father, but Father will surely win if it turns out to be a battle.

Sai lands in front of her, his footfalls silent but his exhausted pants audible. Drenched in sweat, he looks like he's about to collapse. He does soon after, looking at her with more emotion than when she first met him. Oh, how things change.

"Welcome back, Sai." she greets him, crossing her legs and gesturing for him to crawl over and rest his head in her lap. He does so, and she cushions his head from hitting the bones of her legs too hard.

She begins to run her hands through his matted hair as he shuts his eyes, Kakashi opting to gently rock back and forth instead of side to side. They're a family, brought together by some rather curious circumstances, but a family nonetheless.

"Gai and Genma want to meet you…" Kakashi murmurs, his arms tightening the slightest around her. He sounds like he's sulking. "I don't want them to…"

"You've been holding off for about three years now. I might as well meet them at some point before they grow desperate enough to stalk me. I'm surprised that they haven't met me already considering you live with me." then she tilts her head in thought. "Never mind. I know how meticulous you can be."

Kakashi nuzzles her as if pleased that she knows something about him. What an adorable man-child-dog. It's almost as though he's been trained to view any kind of positivity towards him as wonderful praise, which brings up the question of what exactly Shion did to him.

 _"Right, so his dickhead of a father killed himself and I was basically forced to raise him myself. He was already a dickish little kid, so some shit had to change if I was going to deal with him, yeah. I mean, I didn't_ have _to raise him, but that's like walking by an abandoned puppy in the street. Then his teammates started dying one by one ̶ fuck Rin, man,_ fuck her _̶ and that was hell to deal with because it scarred the shit out of him. Especially Rin, that apparent super cute and nice medical-nin. Hoe impaled herself on his fucking hand! Like bitch, kill yourself with your own hand at the least, yeah!"_

The vehemence in Shion's tone in regards to whoever Rin was is rather unusual. Shion tends to only regard the old man down below with such force. Sakura thinks it's understandable though, what kind of person kills themselves by using their teammate as the kunai?

"We have the option to apply for early graduation this year." Sai breathes, as if in remembrance. He opens his eyes, staring up at her as one would when looking at a superior. "Should we?"

She thinks of her group, of Shikamaru and the possibility of them wanting to graduate early as well. If not enough pass, she and Sai would likely be placed with an older genin who'll be graduating around the same time. Then the time spent together may decrease, as she would be spending more time with her team and going on missions.

The slight pang of pain is noted but soon dismissed as she remembers that she can't hold herself back just because of reasons like wanting more time spent with friends. Time waits for no one, after all.

"Yes." Sakura answers, and Sai closes his eyes once more.

* * *

After coming to terms with her feelings and the reciprocation that's resulted from it, Sakura is much more… open about it both to herself and to others. The mortification has gradually eased and she's managed to accustom herself to the pleasant feeling Shikamaru's existence brings. They're still children, so nothing is set in stone but they appreciate the time that they have together.

Her relationship with the heir of the Nara clan has improved immensely, as they're both rather honest and are capable of sitting together in long bouts of silence without discomfort. The unfortunate part is their group of friends.

Whilst Hinata and Chouji are happy and Sai doesn't care, Naruto and Sasuke seem to be struggling with coming to terms with it all. It appears to be a bit more complicated than just simple jealousy, because the way they feel towards her is not as simple as liking her.

"I'm just…" Naruto frowns, leaning back against his chair with his arms behind his head. "I'm trying to figure out how I feel about you, you know? I think you're the prettiest girl there's ever been… but I don't know if that's because I like you like that or because I have a really strong appreciation of your appearance." he turns to her, seeking her understanding. "You know what I mean?"

She nods in confirmation. "Emotions are difficult to discern." and though the curriculum wants to teach the children about revealing no emotions, they can't be ignorant enough to believe that those rules could be properly followed. Some updates would be recommended in regards to the Academy.

Naruto grins, glad that she understands. "Yeah, but then you have Sasuke and he's just a freaking mess." he sighs, ruffling his hair in frustration. Ino is once again attempting communication with the Uchiha, but her efforts are wasted. "He keeps saying that it's meant to be 'you and him' and that any other pairing is wrong. I'm pretty sure it's because of that damn brother of his, who's like, telling him what to do from the shadows."

Sasuke's development as a human being has been stuck somewhat in a stalemate, as there's been very little change to his behaviour over the years that she's known him. His smiles are less disturbing, but there's still something unsettling about it. He's also becoming more prone to using informal language, using contractions to make him seem a little less like a robotic and creepy nobleman.

She supposes the fact that his Sharingan's awakened is a change as well, but it's not surprising. What _is_ surprising are the rumours circulating between the ninja in regards to his clan. They've been isolating themselves far more over the years, to the point it's starting to become suspicious.

Sasuke's father has apparently refused to divulge information and insisted that it's clan business. She's not sure if the Hokage has employed any ANBU to investigate, but only time can tell what will develop with that wretched clan.

"The Uchiha have always been so complicated and secretive…" drawls a tired Shikamaru from her other side. "But why would Sasuke's brother be so interested in Sakura that he would attempt to force them together? What purpose would that serve? Maybe Sasuke's just added onto whatever his brother's asked of him." he shrugs at his own theory.

Sakura has inklings, but it's Shion knows a larger part of the story. The history between Itachi and Shion is shrouded in mystery, but she doesn't think it was a particularly healthy one. Then again, can Shion's relationship with Kakashi be considered healthy when he was basically raised like a dog?

Naruto leans on the desk, frowning in contemplation. "I've learnt that questioning Sasuke's brother is really just a lost cause because that guy's basically the embodiment of a bad mystery. Like, I don't think anyone would be too happy to figure him out and understand why he is the way he is."

That's an accurate description, she believes. "Has Hinata confessed to you yet?" she inquires, reminded that Hinata's absent due to clan obligations. She _is_ the heiress, after all.

Her blonde companion dons a sheepish smile as he rubs the back of his head. "She hasn't, but it's pretty obvious from the way she always acts around me. Always stuttering and blushing whenever I look at her. It's kind of cute." he looks above her, likely conjuring an image of Hinata's reddened face. "It's really easy to tease her. I didn't really think much of her before, but she's grown on me."

That's progress for Hinata at the least. Shikamaru leans on her, the scent of pine registering in her mind. "Where's Sai?" he yawns in question.

"Sick." she answers, glancing at him. "I was experimenting with some new medicinal herbs and Sai was my guinea pig. It'll be flushed out of his system by tomorrow."

Shikamaru's exhale is one of amusement, whilst Naruto has a livelier reaction. "Sure glad I'm not your brother!" he laughs, before standing up and calling out to Sasuke who's managed to make Ino cry. "Goddammit, Sasuke! What did I tell you about making girls cry?!"

Sasuke turns to face his best friend, his expression as blank as always. "But Ino-san is a pig, not a girl." he replies with his usual monotone. It's as if he stated a fact rather than insulted the Yamanaka heiress.

Shion finds it hilarious though. _"The one thing I can appreciate about Sasuke is the blunt shade he throws at people. Though it's something a little less appreciated when his bluntness is used in regards to his future with you, yeah."_

Shikamaru yawns. "I'm glad I'm not your brother too…" he mutters, content to ignore the drama around them. "That'd be a little weird."

"Well," Sakura tilts her head, "whilst incest isn't illegal, it definitely would be rather absurd. But I'm used to that by now."

* * *

She comes home and checks on Sai, who happens to be in her room rather than in his. Kakashi's blood still stains the floor, but Shion thinks it adds character. She also thinks someone might think it's period blood, but Sakura's a little young and no one but family enters the house.

He's all snuggled up in her sheets, and though still with a sickly pallor that makes him even whiter than he already is; it's cute.

"Sakura-neesama…" he croaks after squinting open an eye. "Okaeri…"

She smiles, holding up a small plate of momen tofu prepared for him. "Tadaima, Sai. Sit up, I know you haven't eaten anything yet." she replies, setting down the plate onto her bedside table to help him sit up.

He rests his head and back against the wall, his head almost lolling to the side. "I love you… Sakura-neesama…" he rasps out with a dopy smile. "We're family… We're… nakama…"

 _"Dude, he's off his face."_ Shion snorts with an amused fondness. _"What a cute little brother you have, even if he's like a year older. Semantics, yeah."_

Sakura smiles, genuinely pleased. Though she and Sai have created an inseparable bond, they rarely express their familial love for one another with words. It's the first time he's ever said so, and even though it's because he's sick from her experimental concoction, she's happy.

"I love you too, Sai." she answers, brushing his bangs out of his face. She'll have to start incorporating medical ninjutsu into her regime, in case this happens again. She's honestly surprised that it doesn't happen more often, considering.

Sai smiles, his eyes closed. She helps him eat before settling him back into her bed and making her way downstairs to put the plate in the sink.

Sakura takes a moment to look around her home, which is large as Father has the money to spend, yet it's cluttered with all their personal belongings in a homey mess. Sai's drawings and calligraphy on the wall, with her own earlier attempts at fuuinjutsu up on display. Kakashi and Shion have helped her immensely in regards to fuuinjutsu and genjutsu, so looking at them now makes her almost ashamed that she was once that bad. The true fuuinjutsu is hidden within the walls, out of sight.

There are photos of her and Father together, which are now accompanied by various other photos including their previously new additions. Mother's face is somewhat blurred now despite her superior memory, as there are no photos to remember her by. She doesn't particularly mind.

Mother must be somewhere, feeling like she belongs. Or the woman's dead, but either way.

 _"This is what you're fighting to protect, sugar plum. Fuck all that village shit, it's this."_ Shion comments, then yawns _. "Even if Konoha falls, all that matters is your home. Loyalty is to your home and your home is your family. Fuck everyone else, no one has the time to care more than they should for strangers, yeah."_

Sakura thinks Shion has something against the village, but that's been in question for a while now. So she nods in understanding, preparing some medicinal tea that'll help Sai rather than poison him.

Shion isn't the most kind of people, but she's capable of caring for people and that's enough for Sakura. If Shion was different, Sakura knows that her life would turn out to be much duller.

Because Sakura would've died and her body a puppet of living flesh for a monster that even the _Shinigami_ wouldn't take.

* * *

Shikamaru frowns as he rubs his neck and looks somewhere into the sky. "My parents want you to come over for dinner." he tells her, sounding perplexed about such a thing. Then again, they've never met each other's parents. Father would talk about marriage and make innuendos the entire time. Shion would crack up and it'd just be an awkward experience for both Sakura and Shikamaru.

"Well," she hums, tilting her head, "I can if they really want me to. Unless it would make you uncomfortable."

He meets her eyes, then smiles at her. "I want you to come over to dinner too, I just had the convenient excuse of my parents wanting to meet you." he admits. She smiles and laughs, her face warm but not burning as it used to. Far less inconveniencing.

"When?" she queries, glancing over to where Sai and Naruto are having a spontaneous spar. Sai can stay at home alone if he has to, content to spend his time doing art. Kakashi's going to be home later tonight and Father's still on his business trip. He's sent her quite a few letters and packages even though it's only been a short while.

"Tonight, if I could convince you." Shikamaru answers with a smirk, cracking his neck and glancing behind her. She follows his line of sight to see Chouji approaching a dejected Ino, who's been seen visually questioning her fascination towards Sasuke in the corner. "If we graduate at the same time, I'm going to be on a team with her and Chouji. Chouji's fine, but Ino's so troublesome."

"Sai and I are going to take the early graduation exam." she comments, tilting her head when Ino's face blows up in red. That must be what Sakura looks like when she's flustered. It really _is_ noticeable, she thinks with an inward wince.

She hears Shikamaru shift, so she turns her attention back onto him to see him frowning at the grass. "Yeah…?" he mutters, his mood abruptly sunken. She blinks.

"We might as well, since there's nothing more for us here. There wasn't much in the first place." she frowns. "They need to upgrade their education system. I get that it's peace time but people still die regardless."

The boy in front of her makes a sound of agreement, but his demeanour has taken on one of frustration. She wonders if it's because she's going to take the exam.

"I guess it's natural for prodigies to graduate early…" he sighs, scratching his head before stepping forward and embracing her. She tenses for a moment before relaxing, feeling his chin rest on her shoulder. She returns the gesture. "I'll catch up." he whispers as a promise.

A smile forms on her lips. "I'd wait, but you know me." she laughs. He steps back, but hasn't quite let go of her. She returns that gesture too.

He has a knowing, fond look in his eyes as he stares at her. "I do." he replies. "So… My house after school?"

"Yeah," she confirms, "I look forward to it."

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,863

 **Total Word Count:** 18,258

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** Shikamaru's probably using his shadow jutsu shit to make me integrate him further into the story, the little shit. Whatever, it's cute. My readers, what do you think of different POVs every ten chapters? I'm only toying with the thought at the moment.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	7. Rough Beginnings

**A/N:** Day seven. What a week.

* * *

When Sakura graduates, she expects to become a genin. Her expectations are thrown out the window as she and Sai are summoned to the Hokage, after the announcement of their success on the early graduation exam. Together, they stand before the Sandaime Hokage whom Shion isn't very fond of.

"You wish to induct us into the ANBU Initiate Program?" Sai queries with a tilted head, glancing at her. She makes a subtle movement and he turns his attention back onto the Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen is still a legend, but what she sees is an exhausted man wishing to sleep for a few decades. Stacks of files surround his desk and she feels like it's understandable. Paperwork can be quite tedious and boring if the subject matter isn't interesting.

"Your files have some impressive content, considering your ages." the Hokage sighs, then seems to gather himself to don a proud smile. He looks like he's in pain whenever he looks at her. "The ANBU Initiate Program has a similar structure to the four-man cells of genin." he shifts, as if to crack his back. "However, you will undergo a year of intensive ANBU training that includes specified regimes and missions that rank from high-level C-ranks to mid-level A-ranks. After a year, you will undergo an examination and then be registered as a fully-fledged ANBU team."

Sakura yawns, despite herself. Shion gives a nasty chuckle at the unintended disrespect towards the Hokage. Sai shifts and Hiruzen himself gives a painful sigh as if reminded of an unpleasant memory.

"I've heard many things about you, Sakura-chan." the Hokage comments, smiling towards her. "From Naruto-kun, of course. He was indeed correct when he said you have a striking appearance."

Sakura curbs her instinctive reaction to contort her expression into one of repulsion. Shion cackles harder, sounding rather deranged. She must really dislike the Hokage.

"Excuse my disrespect, Hokage-sama," Sai begins to speak, and she knows how this is going to end, "but Sakura-neesama is seven."

Shion sounds like she's dying. Hiruzen's expression morphs into one of mortification as he leans back. Sakura doesn't understand how this always happens to her whenever it's about old men in positions of authority.

"No! I didn't mean it like that!" the Hokage exclaims, coughing as he chokes from his smoke. "I would never ̶ ! What has your father done to make you think like that?!"

Sakura smiles, tilting her head when Sai makes a hum of consideration. "You were saying about the ANBU Initiate Program?" she prompts, because whilst a part of her wishes to make everything worse, a larger part wants to leave and tend to her garden.

The elderly man coughs, gathering himself. "Yes, right. As I was saying, you two have been recommended to be participants in the ANBU Initiate Program. If you refuse, you will be slotted into a genin team of the standard forces. If you accept, I will arrange for you to meet your captain and fellow initiate by tomorrow at the earliest. Your father has already been informed and has approved of the possible situation."

Sai looks to her and she blinks at him. "We accept your proposal, Hokage-sama." she answers, both her and Sai straightening to appear more professional.

Hiruzen smiles. "Good luck to you, Sakura-chan, Sai-kun. Congratulations on graduating. Dismissed."

* * *

Sai and Sakura complete their early morning routines before moving off to meet their new team. They spent the day before purchasing new clothes and supplies, with her removing the metal plate from their hitai-ate to sew it onto their new obi, that's meant to hold their significantly large scrolls at their backs.

Including the sleeveless and skin-tight turtle neck along with form fitting pants, they bought arm sleeves that double as fingerless gloves with metal plates on the back of the hands. Their ninja sandals have been replaced with sturdier, knee-length ones meant to withstand even mountainous regions. As per the standard, they bought new shuriken holsters and she even acquired a belt to hold even more tools.

Wearing it all is heavy, but they'll quickly get used to it. She's mildly pleased to know that Sai's taken to wearing his higanbana crown without complaint, now imbued with the properties of her own to increase the range of her olfactory genjutsu. She might have to give two to her new teammates, but she's still wary of who they might be.

After all, she'd be rendering them immune to her olfactory genjutsu and then what happens if they happen to become her enemy? Perhaps it's paranoid of her, but she thinks it anyway.

 _"Look at you adorable little shits, guh! All professional ANBU minions with cute flower crowns. Reminds me of my time in ANBU, you know? The ANBU Initiate program was something Minato and I founded when he was still Hokage, yeah. I was the captain to silver bun, dango berry and sweet cheese for a while, but the team was split up and I became partners with silver bun. That was fun, you know, until I died and all."_

Sakura is surprised by this, because if Shion was capable of implementing programs with the Yondaime Hokage then she must have been influential. Yet, Shion's not known worldwide like Kakashi is. She wonders why that is, but then theorises that maybe it's because Shion was in ANBU and hid her identity so only Konoha shinobi knew of her true identity.

They received a message last night dictating which training ground is going to be used as a meeting. The _Shi no Mori_ is not a surprising choice, as it's common for ANBU to train within it.

At the most immediate form of entering the training ground, she sees a small figure she assumes to be the third of the initiates from her vantage point hidden within the trees. Sai is crouched beside her, examining the figure as well.

It's a male, with long hair she thinks to be rather shiny in the sunlight. One of the Hyuuga then, she gathers. His attire is similar to hers, but he's less equipped for perhaps light movement. He also appears to be impatient, something about his demeanour buzzing with irritation.

They never had much of a specified time to show up, and if she looks up the sun will tell her it's about eight in the morning. She wonders how long he's been hanging around there.

"Stop hiding." the uptight voice of a child hailing from the Hyuuga demands, looking in her and Sai's direction with a constipated expression. "There's no point with me."

That just makes him sound arrogant, but he does have the Byakugan. She and Sai exchange a glance before revealing themselves in a swirl of flower petals and ink. Sai thought it would be artistic and Shion had agreed with an admittedly devious tone. Shion seems to enjoy going against blending in, Sakura thinks.

"I know you." Sai comments with his perpetual smile that she thinks has an insulting vibe to it. Shion likes it. "The Hyuuga prodigy from the branch house. Were you not inducted into the genin standard forces?"

Sakura blinks, placing a face to the name of Hyuuga Neji who appears to have a metallic rod placed up his rectum. Her impression only strengthens when he glares at her brother.

"I was finally approved for the ANBU Initiate Program by Hiashi- _sama_." he answers, his voice terse and his chin tilted upwards. He's got something against the Hyuuga clan leader, but that's understandable considering his background. "I shouldn't have been so insulted that it took so long if their standards are clanless children with silly flower crowns."

 _"Ohohoho! You hear that, jelly bean? Shade has been thrown, yeah! How are you going to respond?"_ Shion, rather than being insulted, is amused with this turn of events. Sakura supposes it's just as well, because Shion's probably had years of people underestimating her ability once looking at the flowers atop her head.

She realises that she still doesn't know what Shion looks like after all these years.

Sai's smile becomes sharper, as he gets defensive whenever it appears that she's being insulted. She's gained Shion's view over the years, as nondescript peers had given her time to develop an immunity. "I admit that I am surprised, Hyuuga-san. Here I had thought that the main house would consider you unworthy of being part of ANBU, after all, you _are_ a branch member despite your talents."

Sakura slaps away the arm directed towards Sai before slamming her palm against Neji's chest, forcing him back and rendering him short of breath. As a result, she stands in front of Sai as a barrier and has a fierce staring contest with an overly emotional Hyuuga.

Her eyes stare down at the boy struggling to regulate his breathing, whom she thinks to be lacking in a regards to a few things. Perhaps that will change, but for now she would rather not have their first meeting end in a fight because of sore spots.

"My name is Haruno Sakura and this is my brother, Haruno Sai." she introduces them with a small smile and a strangely cool lilt to her voice. It reminds her vaguely of the time they were transferred into Naruto's class. "We're your new teammates, so if you wish for us to watch your back then you need to convince you're worthy of watching ours."

Neji's glare would be intimidating to another, but it's rather dismal in regards to others' eyes and they don't even need to glare to make an impact. Those Uchiha must traumatise everyone they meet.

" _I_ have to convince _you_ that I'm worthy?" he almost spits, regaining himself and standing up straight. "Who are you, some girl with outrageous hair, to dictate that?"

Sakura feels something cool within her, prompting her to step forward and invade his personal space. She doesn't smile, she'd be forcing it if so. His brow furrows, twitching back but refusing to actually step back and effectively admit submission.

"Do you smell the higanbana?" she murmurs in question, tilting her head. He's yet to break their eye contact, as he probably thinks it's yet another way of submitting. "I've heard many things about the Byakugan. I've been wanting to test some things out."

Then Hyuuga Neji releases a bloodcurdling scream that is for more intense than she expects. Perhaps it's a little too much, after all he's not Kakashi or Sai. Shion has a spectacular evil laugh, Sakura realises.

* * *

She can hear Naruto's chiding voice directed towards her in her mind, saying that traumatising teammates by making them believe their precious eyes have exploded is _not_ the way to start a bond. She doesn't mean to, but she laughs at the thought.

It may be a little hysterical, but the ever growing absurdity of her life calls for it.

 _Shunshin no Shisui_ stands before her and her team, wearing a large grin she thinks to be somewhat psychotic. His eyes match, the insanity he wears far more exuberant and far more terrifying because of how different it is. He's understandably taller than them, but he's much taller than even Kakashi. So she's craning her neck, being dwarfed and stared down at by a new kind of monster.

"What's wrong with the little Hyuuga?" Shisui queries with a tone so sickeningly pleasant that there's no doubt it's insincere. The way he voices the question lets her know that he doesn't actually care if there's something wrong with Neji, just that he's curious to know.

The boy in question is staring at the ground, twitching erratically with a particularly traumatised look in his eyes that are still intact. She wouldn't actually blow up his eyes if he's going to be her teammate. After all, that would be counter-productive.

"Sakura-neesama placed him under a genjutsu. It was overwhelmingly successful." Sai explains, looking over at their teammate.

So perhaps Shion may have skewed Sakura's view of genjutsu moderation, but at least she made an impact and 'asserted dominance' as Shion puts it. Though, he's been rather… unresponsive, so she might have to fix him.

Shisui's eyes slide over to her, her stomach clenching at being directly stared at by him. She feels like he's looking past her skin and muscles to see her organs. It's such an unsettling feeling to have, which is why she just wants to stop associating herself with the Uchiha.

He leans down, closing the distance to examine her. She resists the urge to twitch her fingers. "You may be hiding it from me, but there's no doubt about it. It's nice to know Itachi-chan hasn't lost his mind from the little game he's playing." he comments with an amicable whisper, pleased as he grabs a lock of her hair and twirls it around his finger.

"What are you doing?" Sai questions from her side, but Sakura brushes the back of her hand against his. He quietens down.

"Name's Uchiha Shisui, _Sakura-chan_." Shisui introduces himself, winking at her. "As of today, I'm the ANBU captain of Team Yamaneko. I'm going bend you and break you, then I'm going to rebuild you and make you all into cute monsters of doom." the unnerving smile he directs to them is one full of ominous promises.

 _"Going to call it now and say you're fucked, sugar bean."_ Shion inputs with a yawn. It's not very helpful, but Sakura takes it anyway. _"It's likely that it's my fault, but you know. Shit happens, yeah?"_

Neji shivers from her peripheral. "Why lynxes…?" he croaks out, his throat sore from the agonised scream that tore through it earlier. He appears to be slowly regaining himself, directing the slightest of glares towards her before recoiling. Now he just seems angry with himself, the poor child.

"Do we get masks?" Sai inquires, opting to ignore Neji's question. That prompts everyone else to ignore it, though Sakura has half her mind theorising on how to fix the damage that she's done. It'd to her no good if he's unable to function properly.

Shisui chuckles. "Well, of course you do! This is mine." he reaches into his back pouch, pulling out a porcelain mask dyed red and in the shape of a lynx. The ears are large, with three prongs on each side of the cheeks to symbolise the fur. The eyes are slitted and with a dark lens that works akin to a one-way mirror, the grin large and ferocious. It's marked with elaborate black lines that are symmetrical on either side. Certainly eye-catching, she thinks.

"Yours," and something about the way he says it, alerts her that something's wrong, "is in there."

He points towards the _Shi no Mori_ , and Sakura can't tell whether she's pleased for being correct or disappointed. Either way, she knows that this is most likely considered an evaluation and they'll have to search the entirety of the forest to find their own respective masks.

Shisui's expression is beginning to irritate her simply because he seems so psychotically pleased with this turn of events.

"You three are going to have to find your masks together by tonight. If you don't, then I'll make sure you stay the night to get better acquainted with the lovely little creatures lurking around. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

She supposes that she shouldn't expect any less.

* * *

In the words of Shion, Neji is such an _angry_ baby turdmuffin. After having his life put in peril and forced to rely on two strangers with one having blown his eyes up in an illusion, he's lost all his 'calm and cool' composure that the Hyuuga are known for.

As they manoeuvre through a literal forest of death searching for small porcelain masks, Sakura's beginning to think that Neji is really a lonely and sad child who's also incredibly angry at the world. After all, his father is dead because of the Hyuuga Affair and he's forced to serve the main house. She would be upset if Father died and she was forced to serve some distant relatives.

"This isn't working." Sakura decides, stopping and prompting Sai to stop beside her. Neji's landed on the giant branch ahead of her, but he turns around to glare at her with more vigour than before. Despite his prowess, his glare is subpar since his face is too cute to be intimidating.

"You're trying to work without us and it's going to get one of us hurt if this keeps up." she states, jumping over to the branch the Hyuuga's standing on. Sai follows without a word. "It would look bad if any of us die, which would bring up the question of whether the remaining initiates are worthy."

Neji scowls at her, like she's the scum of the world and he should probably let her die. Both she and Sai have the thought that it wouldn't be either of the Haruno siblings to die here, but perhaps that's arrogant of them.

"Do you want me to apologise for using a genjutsu that blew your eyes up?" she tries, even though she knows her apology would be without sincerity. Sometimes, people just like hearing it, she supposes.

Though she thinks he may not be one of those people, because he appears to be taking a new level to his negative expressions. Sai must be enthralled since he rarely strains his facial muscles like that.

 _"Hug him into submission, yeah."_ Shion suggests. _"He'll react violently at first, then be all conflicted and shit. He'll probably want you to get off of him, then he'll start crying because he probably doesn't even know the amazingness of hug therapy, yeah."_

Well, Sakura doesn't have any better ideas so she assaults Neji with attempted hug therapy. As expected, he recoils and attempts to aggressively push her off. Unfortunately, she's wrapped her arms around his, rendering him unable to properly employ them. He starts to violently squirm, grabbing hold of her waist and attempting to push her away like that. It doesn't work very well, as she appears to have more strength than he does.

If he was thinking right, he could just poke her and disrupt her tenketsu in an attempt to get her off. Luckily, he's yet to realise that.

"Get off!" he demands, her ear right by his mouth. She frowns as she stares at the trunk of the tree ahead of her. "What is _wrong_ with you?! I said _get off_!"

"If you continue yelling, you'll draw some unwanted guests towards us." she states, calm despite being inside a monstrous forest. Sai's on lookout and if they're truly in danger, Shion will help.

Neji's fingers dig into her skin as he tenses, abruptly quietening down. "Let _go_." he hisses. She's tempted to bite his ear, for some obscure reason. Perhaps bite it off, but that would just destroy any kind of possible bond she could have with him.

"How long has it been since you've been hugged, Neji-san?" she yawns, loosening her hold the slightest. She hears his breath hitch in surprise at the question. "You're so angry with the world that it's hurting you more than anyone else."

He's silent for a good fifteen seconds before he responds. "What would you know?" he spits, though it's lacking somewhat. "You don't know me."

"We may have started off on the wrong foot," Sakura starts, considering, "but we're a team now. You may have been alone before, but you have us now. We have to rely on each other or we'll all fall, especially considering we're an ANBU team."

His fingers are digging so hard into her skin that for a moment she thinks he might be able to pierce through the durable fabric. Then his grip loosens, his shoulders slumping in reluctant defeat.

" _Never_ put me under that genjutsu again." Neji orders her, once more pushing at her waist but with less force. "And get off." this time, she listens and releases him. He's frowning at her, clearly unhappy with the situation. She considers it a win, so she smiles.

"I suppose that's fair enough. We'll have to stick together instead of hurting each other if _Shunshin no Shisui_ is our captain, since he'll be hurting us enough anyway." she replies, glancing over to Sai whose expression is one of contemplative curiosity. Although that would only be evident to her.

 _"Why do I feel like there's this warped sort of déjà vu?"_ Shion questions herself. _"But hey, you hugged the baby turdmuffin into temporary submission. He didn't cry, but whatever. Congratulations, sugar plum! Just try not to fuck it up, yeah?"_

Sakura will try, at the very least.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,442

 **Total Word Count:** 21,701

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** So here we are reminded that Sakura is kind of messed up in the head. We also get an angry baby turdmuffin with silky hair, whose characterisation could be polished up a bit more, but whatever.

Just in case you're a little disoriented from the erratic pacing, each chapter goes forward a few months. Then the four segments can have monthly jumps or be within the same day. I did say there would be pacing problems.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	8. Reunions and Farewells

**A/N:** Day eight. It's so goddamn hot here.

* * *

Something's changed since she's become a part of Team Yamaneko, she realises in a moment of self-reflection. She feels like something she once grasped with ease has slipped out of her hand without her even noticing, but for the life of her she can't figure out what it is.

She's in pain. It's the worst she's ever experienced, as everything aches. Her flesh, her chakra reserves… her mind. She's exhausted, and for some reason the world feels colder. Duller, she could say. This year has been training and missions, without a time for reprieve.

They don't have the lenience of free time, as they need to be the best of the best. They may be better than a large majority of their generation, it's not enough and they need to be better than better. Shisui is only too pleased to make sure that happens.

It's been quite a while since she's seen any of the group, she notes. They feel so distant, like they're from a lifetime long past. A part of her is wistful, another part accepting. The things that remain constant are her family, though it's mostly Sai. Father returned early in the year, in time for her eighth birthday. It was more to celebrate her graduation than anything.

Unfortunately, he's been swamped with more work that it feels like he's still gone anyway. Kakashi is particularly suited for long-term missions, so he disappears and reappears erratically.

Sakura finds it mildly amusing to think about how she, Sai and Neji have bonded via trauma from a psychotic Uchiha who smiles too much. Despite how busy their schedule is, they've somehow found the time to bond and learn more about one another. She's learned that they're all rather messed up.

Perhaps she should invite him to her house soon. She'll have to register his chakra into the seal, lest he attempt to enter the house via the window and subsequently gets a shock. It'd be convenient and Shion thinks it'd be like taking in another stray since Neji hates his home. She'll consider asking him to move in, since having them all together would be convenient.

The fortunate in all of this is that she's improved immensely in terms of skill, even though they're not even half-way finished with the training. Team Yamaneko is turning out to be a team geared towards multiple areas such as reconnaissance, sabotage and assassination so far. Shisui intends to make them capable of being an assault team soon enough, which really is just a time she dreads.

At least the masks look nice. The designs for her and the other two are similar to Shisui's in that they're in the shape of a lynx, however there are slight variations such as colour and a lack of mouth. As Shisui's is red, Sai's is blue, hers purple and Neji's yellow. They refer to one another via their respective colours, as they're all lynxes and it'd be confusing otherwise.

 _"Go visit your gummy pineapple, yeah."_ Shion suggests with a yawn, throwing Sakura out of her thoughts. _"Might as well use what free time you have to go see how's he doing, jelly bean. I'm sure he misses you."_

She hums, deciding that she might as well even if it's late. She's still dressed up in her ANBU gear, but if she returns home she might be tempted to take a shower and go to sleep. Then who knows when she'd get the chance to visit.

Her footfalls are silent as she lands on the roof of the Nara compound, the moonlight illuminating her view. The engawa is occupied by a Nara whom she recognises to be Shikamaru's father, and she relocates closer to him.

"It's been a while, Sakura." Shikaku greets her, unsurprised by her appearance. He examines her appearance with a slight smile. "Congratulations on your graduation. Shikamaru's been lonely without you."

"Thank you, Shikaku-san." she replies, feeling her stomach bunch up. It's been a while since she's felt the flutters, so it's returned to being a discomforting sensation. "I'd have come visit, but I've been busy."

The Nara clan leader nods in understanding. "Been hearing some good things about your team. I know how intensive the training is, but try to take a break sometimes. I'll go get Shikamaru." he yawns, cracking his neck and moving to stand up.

"I don't want to bother him if he's asleep." she comments, following him with her eyes. He raises a brow at her.

"He'd get angry with me if I told him you came by and left because he was asleep." Shikaku smirks, amused and knowing. She admits that he's correct, so she lets him wander off to find his son.

She removes her mask, sitting down at the edge of the engawa and staring up at the moon. Sleep pulls at the edges of her eyes, but she attempts to rub it away to little avail. The ANBU Initiate Program is stressful, but at least it's beneficial for her in the long run.

Scooting closer to the pillar, she leans against it as she waits. It's not long before she hears the padding of footfalls and a familiar chakra signature, but she opts to move when he's announced himself.

"Sakura…" Shikamaru drawls, his voice rough from sleep. She sits up, about to turn and face him when he sits down and leans on her. His hair is down. "I missed you."

She blinks as something clicks in her head, before feeling a smile tug on her lips. Now she realises what was missing. "I missed you too."

* * *

She jolts from her sleep, abruptly sitting up and scanning her surroundings to realise that she's not at home. Her scroll and other tools are laid out by the side of the futon she's occupying, the scent of pine evident in the air.

Sakura feels her cheeks warm as she theorises that she must have fallen asleep. She's mildly surprised to note that whoever carried her to the guest room hadn't made her stir. Perhaps it's a mix of their prowess and her fatigue.

The shouji door slides open, revealing Shikaku who smiles down at her. She feels obligated to return the smile.

"Letting you know now before you start stressing that I've managed to convince the Hokage to give you a few weeks off." he informs her, rubbing the back of his head in mild irritation. "Though it's troublesome that break periods haven't been implemented in the first place. It should be obvious now that it's peace time."

The amount of genuine pleasure from this news is overwhelming, so perhaps when she thanks the Jounin Commander it's a little more heartfelt than she intends.

"You should stick around for breakfast before wandering off home. If you want, you can have a shower here and borrow some Shikamaru's clothes." Shikaku suggests with a mild, amused grin. "I'm sure he'd be happy to walk you home as well."

Of course, she doesn't need to be walked home but it's not a matter of needing. "Thank you, Shikaku-san. I really appreciate this." it hurts her, how much she appreciates this. He waves her off, as if it's nothing.

She folds the futon before making her way to Shikamaru's room, finding him ruffling through his wardrobe in what she assumes to be him looking for clothes for her. When he notices her by the door, she sees the way his eyes light up. It brings a smile to her face.

"Hey." he greets, with a smile he seems to be trying to control. If so, it's not working very well. "Did you… sleep well?"

Sakura nods, stepping into his room. "Better than I have of late, yes. Shikaku-san tells me I have some free time now, so I'll be able to catch up with you and the others." she informs him, finding herself grinning when he grins.

"Yeah." he answers, with so much affection that Shion groans in pain and mutters something about being adorable. "I'm glad. Here are some of my clothes, you know where the bathroom is. I'll wait for you." he hands her a few articles of clothing, to which he accepts with a small murmur of thanks.

"Alright, thank you." then she heads off towards the bathroom. Sakura hopes that everyone at home isn't panicking at her disappearance, but they'll probably survive. Although Sai might come searching for her in a mild panic.

So she takes a small detour so that she can summon a clone to send the message that she's fine. It's still strange, seeing a clone of herself. They always have this look that's a mix of vacant and attentive, which she supposes could almost be airy. Nevertheless, they don't act airy at least and the clone disappears to find her family.

Though the day's started off fairly well, she wonders how long the peace will last.

* * *

"Sasuke's been… off, lately." Shikamaru states, rubbing the back of his head with a mild frown directed to the sky. When he glances over to her, his eyes fall to the clothes she's wearing. Her ANBU equipment is sealed for convenience's sake, so she's only holding the largest of her scrolls and wearing her ninja sandals. "More so than usual…"

It must be weird for him, seeing her in his clothes. It would be weird enough seeing her wearing civilian clothes, as her Academy attire had screamed practicality for training.

When she tilts her head, he snaps out of his thoughts. "It's like he's anxious or something, but he's secretive about it all. He mentions you a few times, which bugs me because he's still set on 'you and him'." now he's rubbing the side of his neck, setting his gaze ahead.

She feels a smile tugging at her lips, but she feels both a pleasant and unsettling sensation bubble in her gut. "As of the moment, I'm not particularly interested in 'him and I." is her reply. When Shikamaru looks at her, taking special note of the first words she has to elaborate on. "Change can always happen at the most unexpected of times. If you happen to like another girl, I'd hope that you'd be as honest about it as I would with you."

He pauses, turning to face her fully with that frustrated frown marring his expression again. "That's reasonable… but I don't like the idea of looking at another girl the way I look at you." he answers, her chest tightening in response.

 _"Damn, that was smooth. I'm impressed, yeah."_ Shion whistles, then chuckles. She agrees.

Sakura's smile widens and becomes more genuine in the process. "Yeah, I don't like the idea either." then they resume walking to her home in comfortable silence, with her thoughts on the Uchiha and why she feels like something disastrous is going to happen soon.

The Haruno household is located in one of the nicer areas, located atop a hill that grants a nice view of the village. It's large and isolated, meant to house more than one child but as a result of the tumultuous relationship between Father and Mother, she's the only one. It's alright, considering she has a brother and Kakashi now.

"You have a nicer house than I expected." Shikamaru comments, examining it. "What does your dad do?"

"He's the founder of Sakura Ocha." and an underground child trafficking business, but that's something Shikamaru doesn't need to know. "The company's popularity has been rising in recent years, so he's become busier. The fortunate part is that we're rather well off."

She lets him digest the information as they walk towards the entrance of her house, gradually becoming anxious as she realises that this is the first time she's had anyone not currently living with her near her house.

"There are… seals that will incapacitate intruders." she reveals to him, prompting him to look at her in mild surprise. "So, I could register your chakra signature so that doesn't happen… if you decide to come visit in the future."

Shikamaru smiles at her, stepping a little closer. "I'd like that. Thank you." their foreheads are almost touching and Sakura feels a sense of calm and pleasance wash over her. She feels wistful, as though she already misses him when he's right there.

"You're welcome." she responds before turning her attention to the door that's been opened by Sai. His bed hair is so unruly. He's probably used to her brushing his hair instead.

"Sakura-neesama…" her brother yawns. "Okaeri. I was not expecting you to turn up in Shikamaru-san's clothes." he comments, looking down at her attire.

"We didn't fornicate, Sai." she sighs with a smile, noting the rise in rosy colours from Shikamaru with her peripheral view.

Sai nods. "That is reassuring. The recommended age of consent is fourteen, after all. Though…"

"It wouldn't be the first time we've broken the law." she finishes with a grin.

Shikamaru groans from her side. "Please, stop."

* * *

She feels both relief and disappointment to know that her instincts are finally proven correct, when the boy who's been haunting her dreams for years emerges through the forest located behind her house. The moon is high and bright in the sky, its light an ominous light source that makes her wonder if truly dramatic events can only happen on such a night.

Sakura would be unsurprised to learn that the moon is some kind of omen in the future. Regardless, she has to focus on what's in front of her.

"Hello, Sakura-chan." Itachi greets her with an affectionate whisper, having invaded her personal bubble on the roof before she could blink. The metallic scent of blood wafts heavily into her nose, which is no surprise considering he's drenched in the thick liquid. "It has been too long since we have last… talked."

Her stomach has fallen, but she gathers the courage to frown at him. It's amazing how accurate Shion's depiction of Itachi is.

"I think that's a pleasant thing, Itachi-san." she replies, her voice unwavering. He chuckles, his eyes alight with crimson and his insanity. Yes, she believes the time they've been apart has been a pleasant thing indeed.

"You wound me…" he murmurs without sincerity, his lips pulled into a smile as caresses her cheek and stains it with blood she knows doesn't belong to him. "Though, I am pleased to see you have grown stronger since we last met. Your eyes are not as indigo as I would like… but it is a fascinating sight nonetheless."

Some part of her still fears him and that's something she won't deny, but she's been forced to overcome his existence every night that she sleeps. It would be terribly annoying if she hadn't grown since they last saw one another.

"Who did you kill, Itachi-san?" she questions him, her grip on her arms tightening as his thumb brushes near the corner of her right eye.

His gaze slides from his hand to her eyes, something inside her jumping from the sheer intensity. "It would take too long to name them all, but they were all members of my _prestigious_ clan." he smiles like he's pleased with himself for committing a massacre. "There are others left, such as otouto and Shisui… They will take care of the Uchiha in my absence, I should hope."

His other hand slides onto the side of her neck, his face now close enough for her to once more feel his breath fan her face. He really enjoys destroying her personal space, doesn't he?

"I wanted to say my farewells to Shion… and to you by extension, Sakura-chan." then he presses his lips onto hers, forcing her still when she tries to recoil back in disgust and surprise. She feels like her heart's jumped into her throat, like every second their lips touch he's tainting her.

When he finally pulls back, she's left panting and shivering. Her fingers twitch to attempt to cut him, but she knows that even with her training he's far above her league. She abhors that smug smirk on his lips and the way his eyes spin, cataloguing every moment.

"You have a sweet taste, Sakura-chan." he murmurs like the freak he is, his smirk slowly shifting into a deranged smile as she grasps his wrists and toys with the thought of breaking them. All she has to do is call forth her chakra to amplify her strength, but she doesn't know how he reacts to pain. "I will be in touch, should you ever need me."

She knows she's glaring at him now, feeling something dark settle in her stomach. " _Why_ would I need you, Itachi-san?" she seethes in question, her fear settling deep into her bones.

Shisui is a different kind of monster, whom appears to be an anomaly within the Uchiha clan. She's not sure if he even has an obsession, but the fact that it's not her or what's inside her is a fresh breath of air if she disregards his training methods. She prefers her captain far more than the Uchiha in front of her.

Itachi hums as he stares at her mouth, holding her head steady as he brushes his thumb along her bottom lip. The entranced, concentrated look in his spinning eyes of hallucination is disconcerting.

"I do not think you understand what a magnificent existence Shion was in her lifetime." he states, his fingers twitching the slightest. If he goes in for another violation of the lips, she'll retaliate even if it turns out to be fruitless. "To much of the outside world, she was only known by her ANBU alias… However, there are many who knew her true identity and would be able to come to the conclusion that you are affiliated to her in some manner."

He tilts her head, his eyes now on the higanbana crown sitting atop her head. "That is both a good and bad thing as her enemies and her allies have a high likelihood of becoming _your_ enemies and allies." he explains further. The blood on him is starting to congeal, she sees.

"What are you, Itachi-san?" she whispers, watching his face. He's grown to become even more effeminate and attractive, but the blood and insanity is really ruining anything going for him.

His gaze finally meets hers again, then… he smiles. It is one of his most terrifying. "I live for the day I will see her again, in her own blood and flesh." Itachi _croons_ , a buzz in his aura that deeply concerns her. "You may find my existence… displeasing, but Shion…"

Sakura blinks, feeling the flare of chakra that's alerting all ANBU to gather by its location. Itachi too, blinks and glances up into the distance. "I suppose it is time for me to depart." he murmurs, with a mild longing to his tone before he makes eye contact once more.

"Shion accepted you." Sakura realises, her eyes widening to reflect that. The glint in his eyes strengthens on her sentence. "But why?" that's something she's yet to figure out.

Itachi leans in, smiling with all his teeth. Her frown deepens. " _Because_ , Sakura-chan, Shion was a monster too. She was just a different breed."

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,203

 **Total Word Count:** 24,904

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** Itachi makes a surprise appearance and fucks up everyone's day. There's not much else to say, really. Thank you all for the support this story has gotten in the past week. It's amazing since I'm writing all this out of my ass with only vague directions on where to go.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	9. Varieties of Relationships

**A/N:** Day nine. This is where the struggle to write begins, I fear.

* * *

The past few months have escalated to a new level of difficult, she's noted. Ever since the massacre of generally old people within the Uchiha clan, Shisui's been training them with more pleasant ferocity. Rather than because of stress in regards to his clan, it's because the Hokage has issued an order for all ANBU to increase their training as Uchiha Itachi is possibly one of the most dangerous ninja to have been created in Konohagakure. Now, that same shinobi has abandoned it and left a mess in his wake.

Luckily, the Hokage's also implemented break periods as per the pestering of his Jounin Commander. It's still recommended to train during break periods, but at least they don't return home half-dead by the end of the day.

Shion's been sleeping more, but it doesn't worry Sakura too much. There are still many mysteries surrounding her mental companion, and though she's questions what Itachi's definition of a monster is… she still accepts Shion. What would be the point now, to reject Shion when she's already become an inseparable existence?

At least, Sakura knows a little more about Itachi himself. Even someone like him wants someone to understand and accept him, but the unfortunate part is when he becomes a little too attached to the person who gives just that to him. It's also curious to know that Shisui and Itachi seem to have a positive relationship, so why hasn't Itachi become obsessed with the elder Uchiha? It's a question she verbalises.

"What a random question, Sakura-chan." Shisui comments, swatting an irate Neji away with an infuriating sort of ease. Sparring one on one with their ANBU captain is always such a pain. "Well, to answer that… It's because Shion-taichou met him first, since her sister was friends with Mikoto-obasan. He was such an adorable little psychopath, clinging onto her and glaring at me whenever she and I visited together."

Sakura blinks at this, exchanging a glance with Sai. "You and Shion were close?" she questions him, frowning when she hears the bone of Neji's hand snap. With a sigh, she resigns herself to practice healing him with medical ninjutsu. He always sulks whenever he's hurt enough to be in need of healing.

Shisui's grin is somewhat terrifying. "Shion-taichou was my ANBU captain back when the ANBU Initiate Program was first implemented. We were Team Koumori for three years before the Yondaime Hokage split us up. She was only fourteen, but she was the best captain I ever had. She's the reason your first test was to find your masks in the _Shi no Mori_ , you know? That happened to us! She even hid one of the masks inside some creature's stomach, using a seal to protect it from the stomach acids." he reveals, looking up at the sky in what she assumes to be remembrance. For some reason, his expression relaxes and becomes less disturbing.

"Yeah, she was a riot. We had these bat masks with the same colour structure that Team Yamaneko has, you see? Red, black, white and grey. I wore the red mask, but she used food-related nicknames rather than our codenames. We were dango berry, silver bun and sweet cheese. No real meaning to them other than her love for food." the smile on his face takes on a more reminiscent tone as he stares at the ground. "Now that I think about it, you could say I miss her and her monstrous ways."

Sakura digests all of this information with a thoughtful frown, once again thinking that Shisui is such a strange specimen. He speaks with such life in his tone and even if it still has an undertone of unsettlement, it's not a monotone or a creepy caress of a whisper. His demeanour is animated, if in a somewhat psychotic way. Even though he works them like a demon, he has be the most favourable of all the Uchiha she's known so far. When he talks about Shion, it's almost as though he's human again.

"Right! Enough of story time!" he pipes up, planting his hands on his hips and beaming at them. Her stomach sinks in dread. "As compensation for sharing such a piece of my life, I think it's time for some team exercises!"

This year is far too long, Sakura thinks with a sigh.

* * *

Sakura blinks as she holds the entrance door open, taking a few moments to digest the fact that Shikamaru's at her door step with a higanbana bouquet. He's shuffling, no doubt flustered by what she thinks to be a romantic display.

"Kaa-san said I should do something nice…" he explains with a face and tone that makes him appear to be in pain. "Since it's been two years since we confessed to each other and apparently that's significant."

She blinks again, watching as his face steadily reddens the longer she remains silent. Then when it finally clicks, she feels the blood rush to her cheeks as a smile stretches her face. Reaching out, Sakura accepts the bouquet.

"So this is like an anniversary?" she queries with a tilt of her head. When he nods, her smile softens. "Thank you. I hadn't really thought about the definition of… us. I suppose this means we're basically in a relationship, aren't we?"

Shikamaru raises a brow at her, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and shoving the other in his pocket. "Well, yeah. We may have never said it out loud, but I thought it was obvious what our relationship is." he replies, his gaze shifting to Sai who's appeared behind her. "Hey, Sai."

"Hello, Shikamaru." Sai greets without a smile, which is actually a sign of respect. "Have you come to sweep Sakura-neesama away on a date for the festival tonight?"

"I guess, but we don't have to do anything spectacular." Shikamaru shrugs, stepping inside their household as per her gesture's request. "We could watch the stars and I'd be content."

Sakura looks for a stray vase, as Father has a tendency to collect weird vases and scatter them around the house. She finds one just by the entrance to the lounge, and places the bouquet within it. She'll put water in it later.

"How's the Academy?" she asks, walking into the kitchen to prepare some tea as Sai and Shikamaru wait by the dining table. Father and Kakashi are at work, so as usual they're home alone.

Shikamaru yawns, taking a seat and slouching. "Eventful. Ever since the massacre, the clans have been frantic. Sasuke's being ostracised more than usual, not that he really cares. He doesn't even really seem surprised that his brother killed their parents and the elders." he informs her with a drawl. "He actually seems calmer now, compared to how anxious he was."

"He might have known." Sai guesses, wandering towards the fridge. "They appeared to be close, if we go from the creepy string of words Sasuke has imparted to us in the past."

Sakura hums in agreement, her mind flashing back to the time Itachi bid her a temporary farewell. Her stomach knots and she pushes the memory away. "And the others?" she prompts, preparing the cups.

"Chouji and Ino are closer lately, but she insists that they're only friends. She's in the group now. Hinata still hasn't worked up the courage to confess, so Naruto's being rather aggressive by actively teasing her. It's troublesome since she nearly always faints." he sighs, muttering a thank you as she sets the tea down on the table. "Speaking of Naruto, he and Sasuke have been distant. I think he suspects that Sasuke knew, like us and that's probably pushed him over the edge."

She and Sai settle down on the table, Sai across from her and her next to Shikamaru after procuring some snacks.

"Naruto-san has been the one to stick by Sasuke-san since the beginning, has he not?" Sai frowns, tilting his head. "Why would he have a problem with Sasuke-san now?"

Sakura blows on her tea before taking a sip. "Naruto's clan is dead." she answers, looking to her brother. "His life began with the death of his parents, whilst Sasuke has always had his entire clan. When Sasuke reveals to be uncaring in regards to the death of his parents and his other clansmen, Naruto would be enraged because of the lack of appreciation his best friend has towards their memory. His family may be gone, but he loves them as fiercely as if they were alive."

Silence reigns for a few moments as they all think on it. Yes, Naruto has stuck with Sasuke despite all the latter's flaws… but the massacre is a line that's been crossed. It really makes her wonder how they became best friends in the first place.

"At least Sasuke seems to be conflicted about Naruto." Shikamaru sighs, picking up his tea. "He's been frowning more often whilst he stares. I think he's slowly changing, but it's hardly noticeable. There's also the fact that he's the next clan leader to consider, but he's too young to lead." he frowns at his cup, irritation marring his expression and aura. "I… asked him why he thought it should be you and him."

She blinks, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. "I'd be surprised if the answer wasn't something disturbing." her lips tilt upwards for a moment, then falls again when Shikamaru ruffles his hair in frustration.

"He said that his brother would have _her_ , whoever that is. Then that he would have _you_ , when the time came!" Shikamaru groans, obviously aggravated. She reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder, prompting to place his hand over hers and release a drawn out sigh. "Is it bad if I don't like him?"

"No," Sakura returns, "Sasuke is a rather hard person to like, especially when he's pining after the girl you like."

"My girlfriend, you mean." Shikamaru smirks, eliciting the tightening of her stomach and a discomforted expression. "You're going to have to get used to the term eventually."

She sighs, forcefully relaxing herself. "It's just… strange. I was in the state of mind that children's romantic relationships aren't exactly official until they're at least pre-teens." she admits, though she doesn't particularly know why that is. Perhaps it's because of the fact that the relationships between children are often childish, where saying that they have a girlfriend or a boyfriend doesn't really mean anything. It's a title with little value at this age, generally.

"I want to draw you together, as a gift for your two-year anniversary." Sai smiles, holding his cup of tea in a rather sophisticated manner. The bed hair belies the tone, though. "I have learned that gifts are great for increasing the strength in bonds." even though Neji wasn't very happy that his hair was exaggeratedly silky in the last drawing.

Sakura retracts her hand from Shikamaru's shoulder, leaning against the table with a soft smile. "I suppose I'll just have to go with it." she murmurs, though she does wonder what the future will bring.

Feelings change, after all.

* * *

Team Yamaneko stands before the Hokage, who looks like he's aged decades since they last saw him three days ago. What a poor old man whom Shion wishes to suffer in paperwork.

"Congratulations are in order, I believe." Hiruzen announces, taking a puff from his pipe before putting on his proud smile again. "As of today, Team Yamaneko has completed its year of intensive training and officially registered as a fully-fledged ANBU team. Each initiate has been promoted to an ANBU operative, the proof of your status will be chakra seared into your left shoulder once you leave this room."

Sakura feels accomplished, after having gone through one hell of a year. She's sure that Neji and Sai feel the same, though she wonders if Shisui is proud of them. It would be strange to see a proud smile on his face. Honestly, it would be rather disturbing.

"With the status of an ANBU team having completed their training, you may operate without your designated ANBU captain should the situation call for it. You may also be slotted into ANBU teams created for certain missions. As for Team Yamaneko itself, you will be a team specialising in sabotage and assault, with side-specialisations of reconnaissance and assassination. Mission difficulty limit has risen to S-rank, in which you will be paid accordingly should you survive them."

When they're finally dismissed with Shisui remaining behind, she and the rest of her team are escorted to a small room where they're to get their ANBU tattoo. Neji is first, but he has to roll his sleeve all the way up since he doesn't wear sleeveless turtle-neck shirts.

The tattoo applier is like a large stamp, but the mild wince from Neji implies that the ink binds to the skin. Chakra seared, as the Hokage said. Her paranoia wonders if it's like a tracking device, but tries to push it out of her mind. No point in worrying.

When it's her turn, she's surprised to see that the tattoo's turned into the shade of rose. Looking to the elder ANBU in charge of tattooing them, she hopes that they can explain why that is.

"Are you related to the Uzumaki or Senju, Murasaki-san?" the monotonous voice drones in question. When she tilts her head, he elaborates. "The Uzumaki created the chakra ANBU tattoo. As such, members of their clan and their relatives, the Senju, often experience a phenomenon such as a change in pigmentation."

"I believe I'm distantly related, yes." she answers, rather than telling the truth. Her modulated voice from the mask really makes her sound androgynous. "Shouldn't it be too dilated though?"

"We do not understand how or why the process works the way it does towards certain individuals, but we do know that it has no detrimental impact on your body. If that is all, then you are all dismissed." the ANBU operative steps back, cueing for them to leave.

Team Yamaneko files out, then glance to another to let the moment truly sink in. It's ruined when some genin passing by farts then releases a peculiar cackle. Shion's laugh booms in her head, eliciting a large grin to form on Sakura's face. Luckily, her expression is concealed by her mask.

"I have to inform Hiashi-sama that I've finished my training, as he accepted my proposal to allow me to move out once I completed it." Neji states, turning his head towards her after giving the stink eye to the passing genin. She can't see his expression but it's obvious that he's frowning. He's always frowning. He smiled once. It had changed his face entirely.

Sai faces the Hyuuga. "Where will you be moving to?" he queries with a light tone of curiosity.

Neji whips his head over to her brother, likely making an expression of irritation. "With you, don't you remember?" he snaps. "Since you two already live together, all I have to do is move in and it'll be more efficient for us as a team. I can't stand living in the compound."

"I was not informed of this." Sai responds, facing her. She nods, confirming that Neji is indeed coming to live with them for convenience's sake. "That would explain why the room beside mine has been cleared out."

"Do you need help with your things?" Sakura asks. "We could help, if you want."

Their uptight teammate struggles with his decision. "… Fine. You'll have to wait for my meeting with Hiashi-sama to finish." then he turns and begins to walk off in an almost dramatic fashion. It's the long, shiny hair that billows behind him. They might have to start wearing wigs or something, since distinctive hair isn't very inconspicuous.

Shion has redubbed him as a secret baby gummy turdmuffin, to emphasise that Neji secretly loves them but will punch either her or Sai in the face if they decide to confront him about it. For short, he is a turdmuffin.

She and Sai follow after their teammate.

* * *

Father's home, surprisingly, when she and her team arrive at the house. He's in the lounge, until he's in her arms because he's lunged at her and lifted her up off the ground. She holds onto him, both pleased and amused.

"Cupcake, my darling! My treasure! Congratulations on the promotion and…" Father blinks at Neji, who's standing by Sai with a rather discomforted expression. "A new pet?"

Of course, the Hyuuga bristles at such a comment. "I'm Hyuuga Neji… Sakura and Sai's ANBU teammate. I'll be in your care from now on." he introduces himself with a terseness to his tone and posture, bowing like a stick trying to bend unsuccessfully.

"He's trustworthy?" Father queries with his usual casualness, stilling holding her up. It belies the calculative glint in his eyes.

Sakura hums in confirmation, looking over to him and meeting his narrowed eyes. "Neji won't betray our family." she answers, a certain undertone to her words. "I'm sure he understands why that's a bad idea."

In response, he nods when Father looks to him. "Whilst I don't know the details of your business, I know enough. However, as per the… _request_ of my teammate, I will remain silent." he really needs to relax sometime. So she might have made some precautions that are currently hidden in his blind spot, but it's all for a… good reason. Sort of. Perhaps a productive reason?

"Well, I've trusted my blossom's choices up until now. Welcome to the family!" Father finally puts her down before he walks over to Neji and slaps a hand down on the younger male's shoulder. She can see the large, ominously pleasant smile plastered onto Father's face. "Take care of each other, yes?"

Neji nods with all seriousness. "I will." and she knows he means it. He may still be a little bit of an uptight gummyrod, as Shion says, but they've had an entire year of horror to create a relatively strong bond. Even though she's constantly tempted to use her genjutsu to blow up his eyes again.

"We still have to set up his room, tou-chan." Sakura murmurs, walking over to the vase of higanbana to check on them. They're doing well. She'll leave them alone, since she already has a garden of modified flowers in her backyard. "Are you staying for dinner?"

Father releases her teammate before releases a dramatic whine. "No! Goddamn work and all its demanding shit! That wrinkly old crow seems to have an even larger metal beam shoved up his ass lately!"

What with the Uchiha massacre leaving the clan without a suitable clan leader, there's been lots of debate over who should substitute for Sasuke until he's of age. It's not only a clan decision, but a village decision and there's yet to be a conclusion. That toad lurking in the shadows is probably scheming in anger.

"We'll leave some dinner for you." she states, patting Father in consolation. "Let's go set up your room, Neji."

Neji's room is about the same size as hers and Sai's, but the empty space makes it seem larger. She enjoys looking at the paintings on the wall that Sai did a while back, though she's not sure if Neji does. It might be difficult for him to adjust, considering the absurdity of their family and him being used to a traditional household.

"Your father is… eccentric. I wasn't expecting that kind of personality." Neji reluctantly comments, with an even deeper frown of bemusement marring his expression as she grabs his belongings from her scroll. "Since you two aren't… like him."

"Yes, well…" Sakura herself then frowns in thought. "He may be like that, but I believe he's somewhat of immoral being. After all, the true nature of his business isn't orientated towards moralistic people."

"That would explain some things." Neji almost scoffs, eliciting a raised brow from herself. "Our first meeting was you employing a genjutsu on me to make me think my eyes ̶ my most valuable feature ̶ exploded. A moralistic child wouldn't do such a psychotic thing."

Sai blinks, apparently confused by their teammate's words. "Sakura-neesama was only testing to see you would be able to dispel a genjutsu as quickly as the rumours say about the Byakugan."

A scowl contorts their new housemate's expression as he turns towards Sai like he's a moron. "That doesn't change that it's psychotic." Neji retorts, folding his arms for effect.

"That's true." Sakura agrees, standing up after dumping all his stuff onto the floor. "I admit that my consideration for strangers is rather low, so your well-being wasn't much of an importance to me at the time. Of course, _now_ , it's changed. We've worked too hard together as a team and you dying would just be inconvenient."

"We would have to get a replacement and start the bonding process all over again." Sai continues with his transparent smile. Their teammate doesn't seem to appreciate anything they're saying.

"Sounds like you care more about the effort it would take to function with a replacement." he glowers at the floor, meaning he's sulking again. Is it supposed to be easy to read a Hyuuga?

She laughs, walking towards him and forcing him to look up at her. "We're only half-teasing. You wouldn't be living with us if we didn't care about you, Neji." she assures him, amused when he looks to the side with a heavy frown. It means he's pleased and he doesn't like it, because he just wants to wallow in his anger at the world.

"That is correct. With all the blood that we have shed together, it would be surprising if we did not care about you." Sai's lack of smile reveals that he's genuine as he looks upon their secret gummy baby of a teammate.

"I get it already." Neji sighs, running a hand through his unnaturally silky hair. "You guys are a nuisance."

Sakura shrugs. "You're always free to leave, but I'd have to ensure your silence before then."

It's nice to see him twitch in discomfort sometimes.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,691

 **Total Word Count:** 28,595

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** So whilst I sort of wanted to show more of the development between Neji and his team, I decided I might as well be consistent with one thing in the pacing. That would be that each chapter begins a few months after the previous one, if I'm remembering correctly and not off my face.

Also trying to make a relationship between children both adorable and reasonable. It's difficult, but now I will begin the true struggle of writing chapters. It was expected to happen at some point.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	10. Through Sai's Eyes

**A/N:** Day ten. I'm like an hour late from my self-appointed schedule, but whatever. It's done.

* * *

Every morning, Sai wakes up and goes to check on his esteemed sister. As her chakra signature is often concealed, he has to see for himself if she is home. More often than not, she is, but there are times that she is missing. If that is the case, a clone always arrives and informs him of her whereabouts.

Today, she is home. Already up before him and preparing breakfast, she turns towards him as he makes his entrance. The smile that forms on her face at the sight of him is a constant reminder of why he fights for her as diligently as he does.

She walks towards him, running fingers through his hair. "You neglect brushing your hair simply because you like me to do it, don't you?" she grins in knowing, eliciting the genuine pull of a smile on his face.

"That is correct, Sakura-neesama." he confirms, without shame as it has always been a pleasant experience for her to brush his hair. His hair is not long, but it is thick enough. He looks over to the table, pleased to see that there is a variety of food that caters to all members of the household.

Neji trudges in, with a squinty glare and his precious hair in mild disarray. "You made all this?" he accuses Sakura, shifting the very same squinty glare in her direction.

"Tou-chan only knows how to make gravy and tea, and Kakashi can only cook fish." she replies with a sigh, though her smile is fond. "Sai isn't allowed to cook and so it's left to me to handle the food most of the time."

Sai nods, because his first and last attempt was disastrous. "Do you know how to cook, Neji?" he queries, watching as the other boy's expressions contorts to reflect his feelings of being reluctantly impressed. Neji has a hard time being honest with himself, Sai believes.

"Only simple dishes." the Hyuuga responds, tilting his chin upwards before taking a seat.

Kakashi is the next to make his appearance, his hair as gravity defying as ever. "Ohayou…" he greets with a certain peppiness, prompting Sai to imagine dog ears and a wagging tail. Though he is their superior and an excellent shinobi, it truly _is_ difficult to not associate Kakashi with a dog.

"Ohayou, Kakashi." Sakura returns with a slight smile, reaching up and patting Kakashi's head when he leans down. It is an obligatory action, otherwise their elder will feel neglected and possibly grow mushrooms in the corner from his gloom. "This is your first day back as a jounin, isn't it?"

Sai sits, watching as Kakashi beams at the fact that Sakura remembers. Neji is glaring at the table like it has done him a great offence, but is probably impatiently waiting for Father to arrive and for Sakura to sit. He has manners, sometimes.

"Greetings, my sprinklefairies!" Father bursts into the room, wearing his rainbow robe and matching slippers. Sai still wonders how hair can naturally form into a sakura. "I ̶ _finally dear lord_ ̶ have the day off and so we can all go shopping and do family things!"

Sakura returns from the kitchen to set down the drinks before taking her own seat. "Something good must have happened if you've given yourself a day off." she notes, taking a sip of her own concoction of tea. Sai prefers it more than Father's other brands, but that it because it is orientated towards the good health of ninja rather than to simply soothe the random civilian.

Father sits down and Sai blinks, realising that the dining table is nearly filled to the maximum. His gaze slides from Sakura, to Kakashi, to Father and then to Neji. They are all different, with their own distinctive personalities and appearances. Yet, they all sit together as one.

This is his family. It is strange to note that his life went from being an orphan taken in by a shady old man intent on brainwashing him, to being a part of a dysfunctional family with lots of shady associates and traits.

"Itadakimasu." he murmurs, feeling a tug at the corners of his lips.

* * *

During an obligatory hang out session with the Academy group that has grown in members, Naruto drops his wallet and a small photo flutters onto the ground. Sai bends down, picking both the wallet and the photo up in an act of courtesy.

Then he pauses, feeling both intrigued and somewhat perturbed when he looks into wide eyes the shade of indigo. The pupils are miniscule, the sclera too visible and the eye bags distinctive. They stare directly in the camera, in the motion of turning around as though the photographer took it by surprise.

Why is there no light in her eyes, he wonders? They are… glassy and strange, like they are staring through the photo and at him. It is unnerving, to see such eyes on a calm face that has a strange similarity to his sister.

"That's my aunt." Naruto explains, prompting Sai to lift his head and glance at the charismatic blonde whose eyes are focused on the photo. "Her eyes really draw you in, don't they?" he laughs, glancing over to the group who have wandered to a nearby vendor. Some are paired off, but together as a group nonetheless. "The crazy wide eyes is actually just how her eyes are. Pretty intimidating, right?"

Sai glances down at the photo again. It puts him on edge. "She looks like…" he begins, but is almost immediately cut off.

"Sakura-chan looks like her." Naruto corrects, something strange about his smile. He reaches out a hand, and Sai obediently returns the fallen items. "I mean, Sakura-chan doesn't have her eyes but they do look similar aesthetic-wise. I heard that Shion-nee had a really eccentric personality too; lots of swearing and dramatic hand movements."

He blinks before a mild frown mars his expression. "That is Shion-sama?" he queries, then raises his brows in realisation as it makes quite a lot of sense. Aside from differences such as shades, age and facial shapes, they do look incredibly alike. Sakura could be mistaken as the long lost daughter, he believes.

"Sama? Wait, you know her?" there is a mild sense of panic when the de facto leader of the Academy group scrutinises him. He cannot reveal his sister's secret lest he betray her trust, which would never be regained if so.

"Our… teacher was once her student." he explains, with a mild smile and a tilted head. "Do you have any other photos of your family in your wallet?"

Naruto stares at him for a moment, before grinning and rubbing the back of his head. Sometimes, Sai feels as though there is something off about his associate. It has become more noticeable of late, perhaps because of the Uchiha massacre. "I have a few of tou-chan and kaa-chan together. I actually have one of Shion-nee and Sasuke's brother, but I don't keep that one in my wallet since it'd be weird to have a photo of _that_ guy there."

He nods in understanding, as it would be rather questionable. "Sakura-neesama was correct in her belief that you love your family regardless of their deceased status." he does not doubt Sakura, but it is nice to have further confirmation.

The responding smile is almost… sharp, Naruto's gaze shifting over to his best friend. Sasuke is already staring ̶ an expected creepy act ̶ but the Uzumaki looks away first. Sai will have to discuss the kinds of tension people can have with his sister, if only for them to be amused. Neji would certainly be irritated by it if he were around to hear, so it would be punishment for refusing to join the outing since his cousin from the main house is in attendance.

Sakura may force a resolution to that in time, if it proves to be a detrimental effect in the future.

"Well, they were pretty spectacular people, you know? I want to know all about them, even all the bad." Naruto looks to the side, a peculiar expression contorting his face. "No one's perfect, after all…"

Sai smiles. "Does that mean you will kiss and make up with Sasuke-san for lacking certain qualifications for being a human being?" he inquires, in that particular voice that is insincerely polite and catered towards aggravating people.

"Should've expected that." Naruto laughs before stepping forward with a determined gleam in his eyes. "We're going to have to spar again sometime soon, then I'll be able to show you."

"You will show me your subpar skills?" Sai taunts, his responding smile both mocking and genuine.

* * *

He and Neji watch Sakura and Shisui spar, which is always an interesting spectacle to witness. Since their captain is who he is, they have been taught to push their bodies to the limits for maximum speed and efficiency. It is hellish.

But whilst Shisui often trains with each of them one on one, his expressions are always disturbing whenever he spars the sole female of their team. His eyes light up, a wild glint in his eyes as he dons a matching smile. He becomes more vicious… excited, perhaps. With Sai and Neji, their captain's expressions are as infuriatingly pleasant as always.

Sai has always thought that Sakura's style is unorthodox and intense, because she incorporates a few specialisations such as poison, fuuinjutsu and genjutsu. That is then mixed in with her own physical capabilities, making her a dangerous opponent to fight against. He remembers watching an enemy step onto one of her fuuinjutsu traps, only for six garnet tendrils of chakra to burst upwards and impale them as though a demonic spider was lurking under the ground.

It was a gruesome sight, but it is not an uncommon one in their line of work. It was also morbidly artistic, as the tendrils has shaped themselves into the general shape of a flower before dispersing.

Yet despite Sakura's prowess, Shisui is always able to put her on the defensive. From the beginning, he has always had a questionable familiarity with her style. They are both swift, as expected of Team Yamaneko members, so the spars to an outsider would often be fairly unseen.

Shisui slams a fist into Sakura's stomach, prompting a glow to surround her form before she is engulfed in an explosion. Their captain has to retreat, as the same tendrils Sai remembers pursue the Uchiha. It would be quite the illustration, with the tendrils connected to a demon intending to drag the poor soul to the afterlife.

"You want to know a secret?" their captain grins, far too casual as he dodges three tendrils before getting his cheek nicked by the last one. They dissipate soon after, their existence at its limit. "You all know how the Yondaime Hokage is hailed for having defeated over a thousand Iwa shinobi during the _Daisanji Ninkai Taisen_?"

Neji's perpetual frown deepens. It would be amusing to use tape in an attempt to get rid of it. "Yes, he single-handedly annihilated the invasion forces and won Konohagakure the war. It was recorded that a sea of higanbana had immediately sprouted on the battlefield, with many forming theories that he was an agent of the _Shinigami_."

As Sakura's chakra signature is consistently concealed, when three of her pop up he is unsure as to who is the real one. It has been confirmed by Shisui that even the Sharingan is unable to see her chakra signature, as it is the result of a seal rather than the simple blanketing technique.

"He had a shadow. The Yondaime Hokage was as impressive as they say, but even his speed had their limits." the Sharingan in Shisui's left eye deactivates, as the scratch on his cheek begins to discolour. His widening grin means that he is impressed, but it is not a pleasant sight to look at as an opponent… or at all. "There are certain genjutsu specialists capable of destroying minds in their entirety… It's an unforgettable sight to see how the light _shatters_ in their eyes. They drop like puppets having their strings cut, you see?"

Sai feels a mild frown forming on his face, as he has come to the conclusion that the shadow of the Yondaime Hokage was the woman currently hidden within Sakura's mind. It is understandable that word of mouth is more reliable than the history books for information like this.

"Sharingan users are able to do such a thing, with enough practice and development of their kekkei genkai." Shisui laughs, flickering in and out of view to dodge projectiles before retaliating in kind. "Shion-taichou's the only one I know to have been able to do it without a Sharingan, but she was sure there would be others."

The real Sakura coughs blood as she lands away from their captain after having been kicked in the abdomen, her gaze intense and focused. "You sound like you respected her a lot, Shisui-taichou." she comments with the usual tranquillity in her tone, spitting excess blood onto the ground before wiping her mouth.

"She was the elder sister I never had." Shisui hums, closing his left eye and wiping the blood from his cheek. "I used to be a lot like the rest of my clan, until she fucked my mind so many times that my change in personality was inevitable." his bright smile is disconcerting, since it is uncommon to be pleased about having your mind violated to such a point. How bad did he used to be if this is the end result? "My obsession was the Sharingan, something I had to get over since she took sadistic pleasure in blowing up all of her students' eyes in new and creative ways."

Neji glowers, most likely remembering their memorable first meeting. "Sounds like _someone_ we know." he hisses, his glare noticed by an amused Sakura. "So she could condition others in any way that she wanted using her genjutsu?"

Their captain scratches the back of his head, looking towards the sky in thought. "Essentially. Sometimes she would slam her genjutsu straight into you that it's impossible not to notice but you had no way to counteract in time, whilst other times she was frighteningly subtle. I think she manipulated just about everyone she took a liking to, shaping them to whatever she wanted them to be for her own purposes." then Shisui turns his toothy smile over to Sai and Neji, setting them both on edge. "My role model in life, really. I've learnt a lot from her."

That would make a lot of sense, he considers.

"She sounds like a deplorable human being." Neji manages to sneer. "Any kind of trust built would be a fabricated lie, since she would be influencing them to act the way she wants them to rather than giving them the free will to choose on their own."

"Ha!" Shisui gives a mocking laugh, making a hand gesture to Sakura to signal the end of the spar. Her shoulders relax and she begins to crack a number of her joints. "She was many things, Neji-chan. Cruel, manipulative and selfish to name a few. To many, she was a monster. To her, we weren't even people. You know how some consider their pets family members? That's what we were in hers."

Sai remembers being referred to as a pet once. Though he is sure that Sakura sees him as a brother, perhaps Father sees him the same way that Shion did to her family.

"She's never tried to hide who she is. Shion-taichou was the type that people were drawn to despite all of her dangerous flaws." he is staring directly into Sakura's eyes as he says this, most likely speaking to Shion herself. The only one unaware is Neji, which must be frustrating. "Everything about her was unhealthy, but the fact that she cared at all was what tied certain people to her."

Sakura smiles, her eyes not quite soft but almost. "You were one of her favourites." she states, so surely that Sai is certain she is relaying a message from the very woman they are speaking about.

"If Shion-sama was the one to be our captain instead of you, she would end up killing us would she not?" Sai inquires, curious as he tilts his head. What would life be like if Shion had remained alive? What would his sister be like?

Shisui turns towards him, his wild eyes glimmering with mocking disappointment. "Oh, Sai-chan. You should know by now that there are worse things than death."

Yes, he agrees. It should have been obvious, so he nods and accepts his mistake without shame. "That is true, Shisui-taichou."

Neji is glaring at the grass, likely upset with the subject matter as a whole. It is understandable, since he is the most human of them all.

* * *

Sakura and Sai have decided to intrude on Neji on their day off, loitering about his room and bothering him with their presence. It is always a fun past time, since their teammate is unable to be honest with himself.

"Go away." Neji growls, which is unlike the apathetic demeanour that he often attempts to employ in public. It fails, of course, since it is his and Sakura's mission to constantly tease the Hyuuga into submission or retaliation.

To make a point that they are not going anywhere, he and Sakura settle on his bed with matching smiles. Neji glares, in futility.

"This is our time to bond without needing to shed blood on the battlefield together." Sai explains, feeling it widen when the glare is directly solely on him for a whole five seconds. "It is important that you do not feel neglected because you are the most normal of us."

It is true, even after all Neji has gone through with them. He is also the one least informed about certain situations, such as the soul of Shion being inside Sakura's head and the child trafficking business that Father runs in the shadows. They trust him to a certain degree, but Neji's adjustment period is longer than any of theirs.

"Leave me alone and I'll like you more." is Neji's irritated response, standing up and about to make an attempt at forcing them out of his room. It should be obvious by now that rebelling is fruitless, but Sai suspects whether or not their Hyuuga teammate enjoys being like this.

Sakura sits up, cracking her back. "I'll brush your hair." she bribes, smiling in triumph when Neji freezes. Sai is jealous. Having his hair brushed is soothing, but he is sure it would be much better with long and silky hair.

The Hyuuga whips around, wearing a nasty glare meant for Sakura like she is his arch-nemesis. "I abhor you." he seethes, though it is clearly untrue as Neji obediently sits down at the side of his bed. Sakura leans over to obtain the hairbrush before moving into position. 'I abhor you' without a doubt means 'I love you'.

He has read in a book somewhere that females often get angry to hide how pleased they are. If Sai had not already witnessed the proof of Neji's sex during an awkward walk-in moment, he would think their teammate a female pretending to be a man like one of those peculiar romance novels.

"When are you going to give up and just admit that you would die for us?" Sakura queries with a laugh, gathering Neji's hair and beginning to tend to it. "Or are you fully embracing the 'false sibling hate' that's common among siblings?"

Sai blinks, then looks to the wall in thought. He has never fought with Sakura in such a way, as they have always gotten along.

"Who would want to die for siblings like you?" Neji scoffs, seeming to have already accepted the Haruno siblings as his own siblings. It is surprising, to say the least. "Sadistic, annoying nuisances."

When the Hyuuga accepted the higanbana crown and placed it on his belt, it had become a symbol of their unity. They _would_ die for each other, there is no question about that.

"You are now our otouto, Neji." Sai smiles, feeling a genuine bubble of pleasure in his chest at the thought. Neji's face contorts into one of disgust and indignation. "Our bratty otouto with nice girly hair."

Sakura laughs, immune to the nasty look thrown her way. Though they are both immune to the usual glares, an upside down glare is not very intimidating at all.

"Poor otouto." she grins, continuing to brush their little brother's hair. "Always the butt of our jokes. What are we going to do with you?"

Neji sulks as he stares at the ceiling. "I hate you both." but Sai does not miss the involuntary twitch of a smile.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,483

 **Total Word Count:** 32,078

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** I struggled so hard during this chapter. But you get Naruto and Shisui the Shion backstory fairies, so bless them. You also get some tsundere shit with Neji and family shit with Sai. I wonder if the family thing has anything to do with me personally. It seems to be a common thing in my stories, I feel.

Right, now I'm off to stress write some more. Next chapter might be where a timeskip consisting of a few years will happen. So it'll be like the first ten chapters were dedicated to before canon, the next ten to pre-shippuden and then the ten after that to shippuden. Don't know yet. I only have a few hours to decide, ha.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	11. Mysteries of the Uchiha

**A/N:** Day eleven. I made it! Ha _ha_! Only a few more minutes before the day's over for me, but I fucking made it!

* * *

There's an internal debate on whether or not she should walk away now or wait for the approaching presence of a creepy child. With a slightly heavy heart, she decides to wait, because the image of him pursuing after her is a rather discomforting one. Even if she's fairly sure that she could lose him.

"Sakura." Sasuke greets after stopping a little too close to her. She takes a step back and pokes his forehead so he forcefully mimics her action, rather than stepping forward to keep the close proximity as he planned. Poking his forehead seems to be something that he likes, strangely enough, if she's to go by the somewhat unhinged smile forming on his face. "Sakura…"

This is why she doesn't like to be near him when alone, or even in a group but at least the latter option is more bearable. "Is there something you need, Sasuke?" she sighs, attempting to forcefully calm the unsettled mess in her stomach.

The Uchiha blinks, the smile thankfully falling away soon after. "Yes. I need you to help me with Naruto. He says he forgives me ̶ though I still don't understand why he was upset with me ̶ but he continues to remain distant. I don't understand the reasoning, as he refuses to discuss the matter with me. As my future wife, I wish to employ your help." he explains to her, his monotonous voice and words something she hasn't missed all that much. Oh, and the staring. She can't forget the staring.

"I'd appreciate if you wouldn't refer to me as your future wife." she responds with a slight frown, because whilst the future isn't exactly set in stone… it's both far too soon to consider marriage with anyone and rather rude since her opinion on the matter doesn't seem to be relevant.

Sasuke's brow furrows, though it's really a mere twitch of a facial muscle. "Your relationship with Shikamaru is a dalliance that I'll overlook, but it's not something you should expect to be permanent. You don't understand that we're meant together." is his reply, which is actually enough to make her insides itch with irritation.

" _Why_ , Sasuke?" Sakura almost hisses, stepping forward and invading his personal space ̶ if he even has one ̶ in an act of intimidation and annoyance. His reaction is more positive than she would like it to be. "Why is it meant to be _us_?"

The year had started out relatively well, considering. She became an ANBU operative with her team, Neji moved in and team missions have been smooth so far. Group outings with Naruto and the others have been pleasant for the most part, with only light annoyances such as the inclusion of Ino. The Yamanaka heiress is trying to establish a friendship where the dynamics would be more of a posse than on equal standing. Sakura refuses to be ordered and dragged around by her, which appears to only be seen as a challenge.

If she ignores that among other nuisances, it has been a quiet year so far. Sasuke has to ruin it with his insistence on their future relationship, of course. Why can't he just stop? Why can't anyone in the Uchiha just stop?

He shifts, leaning close and staring with those damn eerie eyes of his again. There are whispers of passing civilians, but they're ignored.

"That's just how it is. When Shion-nee is ̶ " he cuts himself off, leaning back with a frown of confliction. "What's so wrong with me that you reject me so readily?" and it somewhat terrifies her that he's beginning to sound hurt… _human_ , even.

Sakura blinks, mimicking his previous action of leaning back as a tight sensation grips her chest. She stares at the boy whom she always considered to be barely human, who in turn stares at her with a gaze that isn't entirely freakish. It's strange, to think that even Sasuke has feelings that can be hurt. She doesn't like it all that much, because it's too different than what she's spent years dealing with.

Her paranoia acts up, thinking that perhaps he's just acting. Then she wonders if he's even capable of acting human. "You're creepy, you stare too much and you're so adamant to be with me because of something your brother has told you. There's just… You make me uncomfortable in an unpleasant way." she answers without much thought, her straightforwardness making its appearance once more. There's more, if she really thinks about it, but it's a good enough summary as it is.

The Uchiha boy blinks. "Then mould me into someone you can be comfortable with in a pleasant way." is his confident reply, eliciting a surprise blink from her. "As long as it ends with you and me."

How horribly ominous, she thinks, feeling her face fall lax to reflect how done she feels. "I don't understand…" she murmurs with an aggravated sigh, internally repeating how much she wants to be done with the Uchiha in general. She's glad that she's only really known three so far. Others that have been spared from the massacre are around, but to her luck they're not aware of her existence. Not yet, anyway.

With less than a decade of experience under her belt, there's already so much drama and absurdity in her life to last at least two lifetimes. It's honestly quite tiring, really.

" _Fine_." Sakura concedes, a certain edge to her tone. "I have no plans of being with you in a romantic fashion anytime soon, but I could at least try to make you more of a human. I'm sure Naruto would appreciate the help."

That's right, she also has to deal with Naruto as well. He's been a little strange of late, even towards everyone in the group. Not as noticeably as how he's been treating Sasuke, but enough.

Sasuke's eyes widen, making him look more like a child rather than a horrific but pretty doll. Then his smile reverts him right back into the horrific but pretty doll, what a shame. "You'll learn to love me." he promises, much to her irritation.

Sakura clicks her tongue, already feeling the niggle of regret. "I doubt in the way you want me to, if ever." she sighs, poking him in the forehead hard enough to send him to the ground.

* * *

No matter how many times she enters the Uchiha compound, she can't get rid of the perpetual unease from the atmosphere surrounding the place. It's a mix of eeriness along with her general distaste of the way the residents stare and act towards her.

"Sakura-sama." a male, adult and familiar Uchiha greets her by the gate with a three-quarter bow. She blinks, attempting to put the name back onto the face. "It pleases us to see you visit so frequently. We do not get many visitors."

"I wonder why…" she replies with a deadpan, before the name of the Uchiha before her pops up in the surface of her mind. "Isamu-san." the same Uchiha that she met the first time Sasuke dragged her to this forsaken place. He had stared for minutes, as if surprised by her existence more than anything.

Isamu's dark, previously blank eyes liven up the slightest. "You remembered." he murmurs, before a smile slithers onto his face. It's a much smoother transition than Sasuke's, at the very least. "I am pleased that you do."

Her gut clenches just a little, but she returns the smile with one of her own. "It took me a while." she admits, beginning to walk with him as he escorts her to the main house. The Uchiha compound is like a small village within a village, though near the centre is where the majority of the massacre took place. No one has bothered to clean the blood up, so it's stained the pavement and the walls like a grim reminder.

Other Uchiha tend to pause in their sometimes questionable activities, drawn to the unusual pop of colour since they're all dark and gloomy in colour schemes and personality. They follow her with their intense, odd eyes until she can no longer be seen.

It _does_ feel a little like an experience when on drugs, like Shion had once said. Shion's been sleeping longer of late, waking up for a few minutes to see what's up before going back to sleep. It's been a gradual process, but some part of Sakura feels uncomfortable with the development.

Shion has always been there, from the beginning. If that suddenly changed… what would happen then? She feels like the silence would probably consume her.

"It is Sasuke-sama's birthday today." Isamu reveals once the main house is in view. It's still a ways away, though. "Though we seldom celebrate birthdays, I have come upon information that entails the customs of friendship. If you would like, I could retrieve a suitable gift for him."

Isamu stares down at her, and for some reason she thinks he's like a particularly unnerving butler. He gives a slow blink, drawing her attention to the long eyelashes that seems to be common among the Uchiha. It's almost upsetting, how pretty they are.

"Ah… I'll just make him something." she answers, because she doesn't know what his definition of a suitable gift would be. "But thank you for offering."

The Uchiha nods and gives a slight bow, before resuming their journey. "You are welcome, Sakura-sama. Though we are seen in a negative light for our questionable personality traits, we do our best to cherish those whom accept us without going too far." he informs her, with a twitch of a smile. "It does not always work out, but at least we try."

Isamu's a little different from his clansmen, she thinks. They're all bizarre, but there is a sense of serenity from the man beside her. Like she could sit down with him and only feel a little uncomfortable.

"Do all Uchiha have an obsession?" she questions him, because it's something that's been noted but not exactly expanded upon. If she remembers what Shisui said, they could be rid of the obsession with some serious conditioning. Although Shion's methods sort of messed Shisui up even more. At least he functions.

"Not all. We are just more susceptible to becoming consumed by our affections to a troubling scale. It is often an irreversible effect, but those like Shisui-sama have been known to move past it. Most of us understand that it is a regrettable trait to possess, but it is something hardwired into our genes. You could say that is our curse." Isamu stares ahead, appearing to be contemplative. "It is dangerous to destroy the obsession of an Uchiha, as they will only descend further into the pit of madness that looms over us all."

She hums, finding the information helpful and something to think on. "The obsession could be anything, couldn't it? Even an ideal?" she queries, just to be sure.

He nods in confirmation. "It could be a book, a house or whatever takes their fancy. Of course, the common obsessions are other people and the Sharingan. Both are considered dangerous, as it can often escalate to devastating effects. Itachi-sama is an example. I believe that his obsession is freedom and the very same person who taught it to him, but the Elders and his father were attempting to tie him down. I assume that is what led him to committing the massacre that night."

Sakura tilts her head in thought, as it does make sense if she thinks about it. Their first meeting _did_ consist of his monologue of freedom and Shion, after all. Her attention and gaze then shifts over to Isamu, deciding to examine him further.

His hair is waist-length, tied in a loose ponytail with his bangs concealing nearly the entirety of the right side of his face. With those long eyelashes, he could pass off as a tall and beautiful woman if it weren't for the masculinity in his long face. His eyes slide down to meet hers, probably having felt her staring.

She doesn't feel all that remorseful, considering how much the Uchiha stare at her. "You're still eerie like the rest of your clansmen, but there's something less intense about you." Sakura briefly explains. Well, the ones she's most informed about are all insane but she had been in the mind that insanity was just a natural phenomenon with all Uchiha. She may have been wrong.

Isamu gives her a soft smile and it's only a little disconcerting, thankfully. "I find myself pleased with your honesty. You may think me different to the main family as they are all of a pure heritage, whilst myself among others of the branch family are considered impure. Though the Uchiha genes are aggressively predominant, foreign genes can lessen the negativities of our clan's blood. As you would expect, inbreeding has only led to the strengthening of our genetic defects."

"That makes so much sense now." she laughs, finding herself at the entrance to the main house. "You've been helpful in expanding my knowledge of the Uchiha, Isamu-san. Thank you for that."

The man himself bows, humble almost. "You are welcome, Sakura-sama. I wish you good luck with your continued association of our clan." when he straightens back up, his smile is one laced with ominous knowing and perhaps a small bit of pity.

Sakura lets out a tired sigh. "Yeah," she replies as she sees Sasuke staring at her from the entrance of his house, "me too."

If he were looking at her through a window, he could pass off as a ghost child from a horror movie.

* * *

"I swear to all things awesome that you're sneaking in tomatoes and I'm not cool with that, you damn bastard!" Naruto exclaims from the kitchen, with the sounds of clattering kitchenware following soon after. "You don't put cherry tomatoes in ramen!"

"I'm telling you that they were already there, Naruto. You need to stop accusing me for mistakes of the manufacturers." Sasuke retorts with his no-nonsense monotone, even though he's 'talking shit' as Shion would say. "You can pick them out, can't you?"

She stands by the entrance of the unnecessarily large kitchen belonging to the Namikaze house, finding pans and spoons and whatever else scattered everywhere with forks and knives embedded in the walls. Naruto and Sasuke are staring down one another in the midst of the chaos whilst the ramen continues to cook on the stove.

"You understand _nothing_ about the finer details of ramen." Naruto seethes, because whilst he's generally a charismatic ball of fun… she's learnt that ramen is sacred and some like tomatoes in ramen is blasphemy to him. " _Nothing_ , you hear me?"

Whilst one part of her is tired of their constant bickering, another part is just so triumphant that she's even managed to get them to this point. It's taken nearly the entirety of the past few months so far, with so much time and effort put into dealing with Sasuke and his friendship problems.

Then there's the fact that the lounge room is tense, because Neji and Hinata are in the same space and Ino's begun flirting ̶ if whatever she's been doing can be considered flirting ̶ with Sai who's really just not interested. What happened to Chouji and Ino again? She doesn't know.

Relationships are so tiring, but at least Shikamaru's presence doesn't actively drain her energy.

"How did you get to this point?" she queries with a sigh as she dares to enter the warzone, looking up at the ceiling to see a spoon with some stray noodle hanging up there. "I suppose I can guess, though…"

The two boys turn to her, and the way each of their eyes light up is unsettling in their own special ways. She's starting to think that Sasuke's eyes are a starting to become a little like Kakashi's, which is really a terrifying thought because Sasuke would be the kind of puppy you'd find surrounded by dead rabbits.

She needs to fix that real soon, she decides. Naruto, on the other hand, just seems to gain energy from simply looking upon her form. It's probably because of the resemblance to his deceased aunt, which is somewhat disturbing but it's… better if she's to compare.

"Sakura-chan! This turd snuck cherry tomatoes into the ramen and that just completely _ruins_ the taste of the broth, but he's denying it like the liar he is." Naruto steps forward, draping an arm around her shoulders as he's prone to do. "This is a great personal offence, you know?"

Sasuke tilts his head a certain way, which really says that Naruto is an inferior species. It's awkward and rigid, with nothing signifying that it's a natural movement. Trying to have him develop an actual personality with his body language reflecting said personality is really, really difficult.

"I refuse to repeat myself. You'll just have to deal with it, Naruto." then he smirks, though it's also strange because there's barely any other expression on his face. How socially stunted can one person be?

The boy leaning on her blinks, then turns to her with a slight frown of concern and something else. "God, he's such a social retard." he sighs dramatically, eliciting abrupt laughter to burst out of her mouth.

She bumps against him in her amused momentum, before she manages to calm herself. "Yeah, but we're making progress. Albeit slowly." Sakura sighs, almost fondly.

Sasuke throws a fork, which she catches on reflex before it hits Naruto's face. The Uchiha heir twitches, meaning he's somewhat irritated with the outcome. She flicks the fork back at him, but he doesn't flinch as it just misses his face. "Kindly remove yourself from Sakura, as the sight of you together is something I find to be immensely displeasing."

Naruto's immediate reaction is to contort his expression into a smug, mocking grin. "Good." he cackles, before actually managing to pick her up and flee from the kitchen in one swift movement. "Suffer, you bastard! _Suffer_!"

Sakura holds onto the blonde, feeling quite used to this scenario. It says something, no doubt. "What about your ramen?" she inquires, looking over his shoulder to find the discomforting image of Sasuke running after them with a look of intense concentration.

"One of the caretakers will handle it!" he assures her, bursting into the lounge room where all the others are. "Shikamaru! I demand you smother your girlfriend with all the affection you've got!"

Shikamaru cracks an eye open, his body laid out over one of the many couches. "Is it to piss Sasuke off?" is his first sleepy question. Typical. When Naruto grins as a nonverbal answer of confirmation, the Nara sits up and holds his arms out. "Give her to me."

"I don't appreciate any of this." she comments in mid-air, having just been thrown to someone. There's a split-second where she can see Shikamaru's eyes widen with panic, but she lands on the couch without touching him with ease since she would be a disgrace as a ninja if she couldn't do that. Their faces are closer than she expected, prompting them both to blink before they smile at one another. "Hey, there."

"Fancy seeing you here." is his amused reply.

"Entirely inappropriate." Neji sneers as Sasuke bursts into the room and slams into Naruto, beginning a spontaneous brawl on the floor of the lounge. "What _is_ this? It's chaotic."

Sakura sits down on the couch beside the lazy Nara heir. "Just go with it, otouto." she advises, tracing the slight cut above her couch companion's eyebrow. When did he get that, she wonders? "To fight against the absurdity is something that only ends in pain."

She smiles when she hears Neji's frustrated sigh, since he doesn't enjoy being referred to as a little brother in public. It amuses her, for both that reason and because she's actually the youngest of her siblings.

"So this is fun." says Sai with that pleasant tone to his voice, with a feminine giggle responding to his words. "You are too close, Ino-san, it is upsetting to both myself and to Chouji-san. Do you not feel his suffering stare burning into your back?"

Shikamaru sighs, leaning back against the couch. "It just gets more and more troublesome, doesn't it?" he drawls, looking up at the ceiling.

Sakura hums, feeling the small tug of a smile. "It's… lively at least."

"I win, ha! _Suck it_ , Uchiha!"

* * *

She notes that the end of the year is near, which makes her realise just how busy it's been. Not as intensive as last year during ANBU training, but certainly draining nonetheless. If she thinks back on the year, she also notes how inactive Shion has been.

 _"I'm still around, sugar plum."_ Shion's scratchy voice startles her. _"I've just been content to chill, you know, like the dead and all. I don't think I've ever really had the time to relax and just be content to exist without worry, since I was in ANBU and it was during a war, yeah. Besides, you don't need me to experience your entire life with you, right?"_

Sakura supposes that she can agree. It would be rather tiring to live multiple lives without having ever experienced the peace of death, she'd think.

The caw of a crow draws her attention, prompting her to turn and see the dark avian flying towards her. She watches as it lands beside her on the roof, before it hops onto her leg and proceeds to give her a beady stare.

There's a note attached to its leg, which she grabs and slowly unfurls it to see its contents. Her stomach clenches in discomfort, though she hopes her expression is wiped of emotion. Who knows if he's using the crow's eyes to see her.

 _ **I should hope that you still think of me as I often think of you. Until we meet again.**_

That would sound romantic if it wasn't from a terrifying teenaged psychopath whom she doesn't really want to be seen associating with. There's a storage seal at the bottom of the paper that she supposes she should activate, though apprehension pulls at her. She doesn't know what she'll be greeted with, but she decides that she might as well find out so she pushes some chakra into the seal.

It glows for a moment, shifting into a different alignment before its contents pops into existence. She automatically catches it, then blinks when she realises it's a bouquet of shions with a peculiar garnet shade to their petals.

 _"He's in Kirigakure, yeah."_ Shion yawns, apparently familiar with the origins of garnet shions. _"They dye the flowers red in remembrance of all the lives lost there, or some shit like that. Can't remember that much, you know?"_

The crow caws, pecking at the paper and probably reminding her to burn it. She does so, before struggling with indecision to thank the crow or not.

"I… like the flowers…" she forces out, with a pained expression and a knotted stomach. Really, she doesn't want to appreciate any gesture that Itachi makes. It's strange and uncomfortable. It also probably encourages him with his ways and that's just unacceptable. "Thank you…"

With a caw of farewell, the bird pushes off to return to its master. Sakura watches it fly away, then shifts her gaze to the moon. It'll be a new moon soon.

"I think it's time I went to sleep." Sakura sighs, hoping for a few hours of reprieve from all the drama in her life.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,943

 **Total Word Count:** 36,021

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** Dear Jesus, I nearly died. Writing every day is slowly killing me and my sleep. So each segment were a few months apart, which will probably be the format for the next few chapters until canon. Maybe. Who knows. Let me die now.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	12. Defining a Monster

**A/N:** Day twelve. To all those who reviewed, my heart explodes all over you in a gruesome but loving way.

* * *

She's never been all that sure as to how meeting any of the Sannin would turn out, mostly because she just doesn't want to think about it. To her misfortune, she meets the one that she would have rather met last if she could have chosen.

Her first impression is that it's just unnatural to see the snake Sannin look so young, despite the fact that he should be somewhere in his fifties. He looks like he stopped aging somewhere in his twenties, with his hair long and messily tied into a loose ponytail. He slouches, but it doesn't detract from his height that much.

He's also sort of glamourous because of the expensive clothes with intricate details sewn onto them. Really, his entire appearance is quite… _striking_ , as the Hokage once said about her. He's certainly got a reptilian vibe to him, which makes her wonder if that's genetic or it was the result of self-experimentation. If it's genetic, was one of his parents a snake?

She thinks his eyes are the most distinctive thing about him, since markings the colour of mauve line golden irises and slitted pupils. They would be sure to draw people's attention, but it's not as threatening when his eyelids are heavy, giving him a fatigued impression. Of course, they widen when they land on her form.

"What…?" he hisses, his voice that deep raspy type. It surprises her a little, because she was expecting a high-pitched creep voice for some reason or other. His gaze returns to the Sandaime Hokage, his former teacher. "This is the girl the little Uzumaki was referring to?"

Hiruzen nods, almost grave in his manner of doing so. She closes the door, just to be courteous. "This is Haruno Sakura, one of my ANBU operatives and member of Team Yamaneko. Sakura-chan, this is Orochimaru as I'm sure you know."

She nods, then tilts her head as the reptilian man blatantly analyses her. "Here I was hoping to postpone our meeting a little more." is her pleasant greeting, her lips formed into a matching smile.

"It is just as well…" he replies with that same hiss again, because his animalistic nature demands it she supposes. "I was close to coming to a decision on whether or not I should search for you myself."

Of course he was, she thinks with an internal sigh. "Well, then yes I suppose it's just as well that we met now rather than later." she replies, struggling with the decision to walk forward or stay by the door just in case.

Her decision is made for her, since Orochimaru strides towards her anyway. She waits, feeling her neck gradually bend until she feels like she might strain it if kept in the same position for too long. Tall people irritate her, just the slightest.

He amends the vast difference in height by crouching down before her. His gaze starts at her toes, then up and up until their eyes meet. She blinks when she sees the momentary gleam of sorrow dance in his eyes, which are looking at all the other little features of her face and head such as her seal.

"Yes, you do bear quite the resemblance to her. It is almost painful to look at you…" he murmurs, which is not what she's expecting at all. Though she's known for years now that Shion and Orochimaru were associated, but she's never quite known the specifics of how they viewed one another. Were they willing friends or reluctant ones?

Sakura hums, thinking that he does look really tired from the front view. "You mean Naruto's aunt? I've heard that I look like her before." it's becoming a little tiring, but she guesses it's to be expected when she looks like someone as outlandish as Shion.

Orochimaru's blink is slow, then he sighs. "She and I bickered often, but she was one of the very few whom I considered my friend. Her untimely demise has had an unexpected and frankly irritating impact on me." he informs her, reaching up to touch one of her higanbana. She tilts her head, for better access. There's a bitter smile and a small frown marring his annoyingly youthful face.

 _"That's because I fucked him up in the head, yeah."_ Shion laughs, apparently unconcerned with the solemnity that the snake Sannin wears like a cloak. _"It was the only way I could trust him otherwise, you know?"_

That would make sense, Sakura thinks. It would be rather strange and suspicious if Shion had actually managed to bond with all these… spectacular people _without_ subtly manipulating them. But it really makes one think about how dangerous Shion must have been in her lifetime, since she was capable of tampering with just about anyone's mind.

"What was she like?" she queries, glancing up towards the Hokage. Hiruzen appears to be tired himself, resting his forehead against his clasped fingers.

Orochimaru smiles, retracting his hand and actually sitting down. To somewhat match his pace, she sits down and crosses her legs. "She had a peculiar form of speech, one with an abundance of blunt profanity and a verbal tic like her sister. Visual with her hand and body movements, with an impressive expanse of vivid facial expressions. She was the kind to create a melody, then dance to it regardless if others could keep up or not." his smile is fond, and luckily not quite so much like Kakashi's.

That would just be disturbing if the significantly older reptilian man started dubbing Shion as his dead girlfriend. Her stomach clenches at the mere thought.

"There was another side to her…" his eyes slide up to look at the door, though his eyes are glassy in thought. "I had only witnessed it once, but it was though a switch had been flicked. All forms of personality and humanity withered away, just as if she had all but shed that familiar skin to reveal what lay underneath… It is difficult to explain, but in that moment the curtain around her existence lifted and I had felt like I had witnessed what a true abomination looked like.

"It is difficult to define a monster as there are so many definitions… what with those like myself and the Uchiha clan being considered as such. They think _us_ as monsters wearing human skin, when we are capable of feeling pain and being crushed ourselves just as they are. We lack certain common aspects of a _compassionate_ human being, but that does not dissociate us as humans. Since the moment I witnessed her momentary change, I have often wondered if Shion even knew how to feel… Or if she was just emulating emotions and reacting in the way that we expected her to.

"I had wondered if she was even human at all, if there were any parts of her personality that were genuine. I had thought that she would live an obscenely long life, but then she died at nineteen and made me question everything further. Once, she had told me that she might actually be centuries old but then refused to divulge any more information. Perhaps I am irritated and upset that she died because I am no longer able to pester her with all of my queries."

Sakura blinks, unsure on how to digest all of that in one go. She tries, nevertheless, but it feels painful and sickening in a sense. She hears more and more of who Shion was to others, acknowledging and accepting that she wasn't the nicest of people.

Itachi is considered to be a monster. Shisui is considered to be a monster. Shion was too, that was established… but now Sakura hears that Shion might have been in a league of her own, as though Shion was actually an atrocity of a being rather than a child born with unfortunate genetic wiring and raised in an equally unfortunate environment.

She twitches when she hears the low, rough laughter in her mind. Her skin tingles and for the first time, she feels as though she's not safe from Shion. Shion may have hurt her in the past, but it was to increase her chances of survival… She's never felt as though Shion's going to hurt her just because she can, until this moment.

 _"There's no need to be afraid, jelly bean."_ Shion assures her, with an ominous tone of tranquillity. _"I have no intention of killing you, yeah. So I_ might _have gone through a few more lives than what I told you, but it's not like I can remember them, you know? I just know that pieces of my humanity has been gradually whittled away each and every time I live again. So perhaps I'm not human anymore, but at least I still know how to function and act like one, yeah. Like damn, look at Sasuke and his freakishness."_

Sakura feels a wave of calm wash over her, forcing her to relax. It's Shion's doing, but she's grateful regardless. Some part of her feels shame for fearing Shion after everything, whilst another remains apprehensive. Though she does have to admit that Sasuke barely functions as a person.

 _"I don't have any world dominating agendas or even world destroying agendas, you know? I just have to deal with the fact that I will_ never _be able to rest in the afterlife, forced to live new and exciting lives for the rest of my existence."_ Shion's voice is too unsettlingly happy, but Sakura feels that there's an undertone she can't quite decipher. _"So I do what I want, however I want to whomever I want because I'm bored and people are fun to pass the time with, yeah. I mean, I care… It's miniscule in comparison, but I care."_

In that moment, Sakura feels as though she's learned far more about Shion than she ever has before. Her insides are a painful mix of emotions, parts of her awed with others feeling a sense of pity. How _can_ someone stay human after so long, after so much experience has been forced upon them?

"I suppose I still have a lot to learn." she murmurs, looking up and meeting the heavy-lidded but calculative gaze of the snake Sannin. "I thought that I knew so many things, but in reality I truly know so little."

Orochimaru lets out a small huff of amusement, the corners of his lips curved upwards. "I believe so too, regardless of the fact that I am decades older than you."

* * *

Sakura has come to terms with the prolonged silences in her head, as Shion hasn't really spoken since that meeting with Orochimaru. She had gone on a solo mission after that, which had thankfully allowed her to focus on something else for a little while. She doesn't often go on them, usually working in teams since her skills combined with her brothers is usually more effective anyway.

But as an ANBU operative, she supposes there will be times when she has to struggle on her own. At the very least, it gives her some space away from everyone even if soon after she's going to be battling with numerous enemy nin trying to kill her.

"You have been quieter than usual of late, Sakura-neesama." Sai comments from behind her, prompting her to turn away from the window of her room to find her brothers by the doorway. Neji is scowling, most definitely because he is worried and displeased with being so. "We are worried."

Sakura feels a tug on her heart and her lips, shifting around on her bed and gesturing for them to come closer. They listen, without hesitation like the good brothers that they are.

"There's just a lot I've been thinking about." she answers, moving closer to them so that she can fall onto Neji. He grunts in surprise, falling back onto the bed. "I had thought my life was absurd, but then I wondered how much it would affect me if I had to live through multiple absurd lives whilst being aware."

Neji does some strange growling sound as he grabs her and forces them to readjust, which then prompts Sai to crawl on her other side and lay down with them. They're warm, she muses with a small smile.

"You'd go insane." the Hyuuga huffs, as if the answer should be obvious. "Everyone in each of your lives would then die in horrific ways like you blowing their eyes up."

She doesn't think he'll ever get over that.

Sai hums, considering. "I imagine it would be quite painful, if you were to keep the memories of each life. All those bonds created, all the pleasant and unpleasant moments. It would become confusing, as you would struggle with connecting which memory to which life and the like. Why have you been thinking of it?"

Sakura turns, so that she's laying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. "I was thinking of ways that would turn you into a monster. Living lives for all eternity with the knowledge that you are is a good way, I think." she replies, before closing her eyes. "We live in a world where death is always looming over us, but many of us believe that we will be able to finally rest once we're dead. How horrible would it be if you were deprived of that? Knowing that even in death you can never rest."

Sai and Neji remain silent, perhaps thinking it over as she feels sleep pulling at her senses. With Shion sleeping more often, Sakura's genjutsu-laced dreams have been absent. She doesn't know how to feel about that yet.

* * *

She feels both certain sense of pride and an unsettlement as she witnesses this bizarre scene. It's conflicting, something that Naruto seems to agree with when she turns to look at him. His face is somewhat horrified, but it's like he's not sure what expression he wants to contort his face to. Perhaps it's the morbidly fascinated sort of expression.

"Sasuke's laughing…" he breathes, though it's shaky. Her gaze returns to the Uchiha in question, who's hunched over with shaking shoulders and doing one of those silent laughs that people who aren't Uchiha do. "Why the _hell_ is he laughing? What's happened with the world?!"

"I don't know." she answers, struggling with the options to back away or walk forward and put Naruto's groceries away without being noticed. Too late to choose, Sasuke's head snaps up and she actually flinches back when she registers the _horrifying_ look of glee on a face that's been mostly blank for years.

"Oh, god!" Naruto exclaims, stepping back and using her as a shield. "I am confused and terrified, dammit Sasuke, what the hell's going on?!"

Sasuke's eyes are gleaming with an unfamiliar liveliness, which is really just disturbing because really, what the hell? Then she pauses, daring to step an inch closer to see the red in his sclera.

"Sasuke, are you high?" she questions him, watching as he blinks with one eye then the other. The smile stretching his lips is incredibly dopey, making everything feel so surreal because Sasuke doesn't smile like that. He always skews his attempts as smiling, after all. "Sasuke, _why_ are you high?"

Naruto snorts at the absurdity, leaning against her back. "Oh, my god what?" he chuckles, somewhat hysterically. "What even? Why?"

"Did you bring food?" Sasuke queries with a slur, standing up from the couch and wobbling. "I need food. I'm hungry. Sakura, feed me… Please. I'll love more you." he frowns at himself. "I'll love you more." then he smiles again, happy with the world.

Sakura inhales, but is ultimately unable to stop the painful burst of laughter from erupting through her chest. She feels herself weakening, so she leans against the archway as Naruto continues to lean on her. Soon enough, they fall to their knees.

Sasuke too, laughs as he stumbles over to them and practically collapses before them. "I like when you smile, Sakura." he whispers. "Itachi-nii has given me many photos of your smiling face for me to place on my wall."

No wonder she's never allowed in his room, she realises, before taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Did I give him too much?" an unfamiliar voice booms in question, prompting her to look up and see the giant form of the toad Sannin leaning over them with a wide grin. Naruto kicks at his feet, to no avail. Although, she doesn't know what that was meant to achieve. Pain? Against a Sannin?

"You got Sasuke high?!" the blonde exclaims in outrage for his best friend, who's begun nuzzling her. "What the hell, Hentai-sensei!"

Jiraiya raises his arms in surrender, his grin somehow widening. "Oh, come on. You know it's hilarious seeing an Uchiha get high! Did you know that they're especially susceptible to cannabis?" he reveals, in a conversational manner like it's no big deal giving drugs to the underage Uchiha heir. "They always have the best experiences, if you ignore the few times that they get obsessed over it."

"Wow." Naruto deadpans, pressing his back into her shoulder. Sasuke's hair is in her face, but it's surprisingly fluffy and smells nice rather than hard and spiky from hair gel as one would expect. "You're a shitty adult, you know that?"

The giant Sannin gasps. "Soon-to-be ten-year-olds aren't allowed to swear!"

"Fuck you." retorts the soon-to-be ten-year-old, before he glances at her. "I'm going to get a camera, because this needs to be recorded and I want to see how he reacts later on."

Sakura blinks, before feeling a devious grin take over her face. "You should do that."

* * *

When she looks at the calendar in the kitchen, she realises that it's already the next year and she's going to turn eleven in about two months. She glances at the dining table, finding the adults of the household absent as per usual. Neji and Sai are arguing over some kind of food again, she notes.

"What are you doing?" the Hyuuga snaps at her, dragging her out of her apparent melancholy since it would seem their argument is over.

She sighs, before shaking her head and retrieving the milk as she planned. "I'm just surprised how quickly time's been passing by. I suppose I've been losing track of it more since I've been a little stuck in my own bubble." is her answer, putting the milk away. She grabs the sugar from the cupboard, so that her cereal may drown in it.

"Not surprising." Sai comments, wiping food from his face. That's adorable. "For a majority of the year before, you were lost in your thoughts far more than is usual."

"I'll need to snap out of it soon, before I get too careless and either one of you get hurt in the process." she sighs, bringing her bowl over to the table and sitting in the seat next to Sai's.

They'll have to get ready to meet the Hokage after breakfast, since he's summoned them about some long-term mission.

Neji scoffs. "Worry about yourself a little more. Just because you're the designated captain whenever Shisui-taichou isn't, doesn't mean that our injuries are your fault." he scolds her, before he starts glaring at her when he sees that she's giving that particular adoring smile.

"What a sweet and caring otouto you are, Neji." Sai praises their brother, catching the single chopstick aiming for his nose. "It is adorable and very admirable."

Sakura laughs, joining in. "Our otouto is the best otouto. All squishy and gold-hearted on the inside. Like a little gummy."

Neji closes his eyes, then makes a point of focusing on his food when he opens them again. "Such a shame that my 'elder' siblings are so abysmal, surely I deserve better." he retorts, then directs are smug smirk at them as if he's won.

It only makes them laugh, much to his annoyance.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,325

 **Total Word Count:** 39,346

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** So deadlines stress me out, but whatever as long as it's before my midnight. I'm working hard to write every day both for myself and for you readers, so thank you for the support.

I hope the hasty world I've created has not yet become absolute bullshit. That would be sad. I was tempted to get rid of a segment or two, but that'd be gross so you get like three short segments and one long one.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	13. Close Calls

**A/N:** Day thirteen. So close, agh!

* * *

Sometimes, they get injured. It's expected, of course, considering the danger of their line of work. She tends to downplay it, since it's her normality, but there's always been the chance that her team ̶ her _family_ ̶ could be fatally injured at any moment. Most of the time, the injuries aren't untreatable. They aren't completely life threatening, if only because Shisui demands excellence and they're not excellent if their injuries are life threatening.

"Hey, Sai…" she smiles, wiping away the sweat lining his brow. Her chest is tight and she feels like something's about break, but she attempts to rein in the emotions that wish to burst out and drown her like the harsh waters of the sea. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

Neji's securing their perimeter, the cave they're occupying just large enough for the three of them. It just has be raining of course, because it's not dramatic if it's not raining. It's also a reason why her olfactory genjutsu was at a disadvantage during the battle.

Her brother shifts, giving her a strained smile. "But I want to see you before I die, Sakura-neesama…" he replies, his amicable tone laced with inner turmoil. She pushes his bangs away from his face, thinking that they're getting a little long and she'll have to cut them soon.

"You're not going to die." she assures him, but her voice is harsher than she expects. So she attempts to rectify it. "Not yet, anyway. You still have to be with me when we surprise Neji with our discovery on how to deactivate his seal."

Sai chuckles, for a moment before coughing. "I think he might actually blush. Perhaps we should have a camera handy when we tell him." is his amusing response. It's strange, seeing how pale even his paper white skin gets. The hue is a little disconcerting, if she thinks about it.

Her skill in medical ninjutsu isn't as expanded to deal with his injury, but she could use one of her storage seals and modify it to hold a living body. The storage scroll naturally preserves the items within it, so it would essentially be stopping Sai's degradation until they return home. It irritates her that she's neglected medical ninjutsu as much as she has, since she thought that her current proficiency was enough.

Neji walks in, solemn and drenched from the rain. "How is he?" he asks, beginning to remove his soaked clothing. She passes him the scroll containing their spare clothes.

Her gaze falls back onto Sai, who's quickly fallen asleep. She continues to run her fingers through his hair, comforting herself with the fact that he's still there. For how long, the cynical part of her wonders? Another part is stricken with early grief and fury, for having allowed this to happen.

They're better than this.

"I'm thinking of modifying one of my seals to store him in it, so he'll be in a stasis until we get him back to Konohagakure." she answers, feeling Neji's cool but comforting presence sit beside her. "We'll be able to achieve what we set out for this way, but it'll just be you and I. He won't make it by the time we're done if I leave him out here."

They've already spent nearly a month on this mission, and they're nowhere near _Hi no Kuni_ at the moment. They can't rely on anyone else to help Sai, but it would also feel… wrong to not complete the mission that he's put so much effort into.

Neji wraps his arms around her, resting his head against hers. "They'll pay for this." he promises with a cold whisper. "Like we'd give them the satisfaction of ruining our success streak."

She smiles, though she feels like it's a little sharper than usual. "Yeah, otherwise Shisui-taichou will be mad at us." Sakura chuckles, but they both know she's not joking since Shisui is the type to be offended that we didn't live up to his teachings. Their captain will deal with them, then he'll go deal with the enemy without permission from the Hokage and then it would all just turn into chaos.

No, she thinks, he'll still be pissed off that Sai got so badly injured in the first place. They'll just have to worry about that later.

* * *

Transporting by ships isn't a normal occurrence for their team, usually because it's more convenient to travel by Sai's _Chouju Giga_ with a genjutsu cloaked over them so they remain inconspicuous. They don't have that option at the moment, because Sai's half-dead and sealed inside of a scroll.

She and Neji are both using the _Henge no Jutsu_ as disguises, since two lone children travelling together brings up quite a few questions. It's a common technique to use, but it's always been a little strange seeing the world at a different height.

Her relatively uninjured brother enters their room, though his hair isn't as shiny or the colour of syrup. His irises are hickory and he actually has visible pupils, making him look ordinary and not as distinctive as he really does. Of course, his frown remains no matter how much he's physically changed.

"We'll arrive at Degarashi Port in about three days." he informs her, shutting the door and glancing at the sparks that scatter around the room. It's one of her seals, since they can never be too careful. They _did_ just sabotage one of the islands of _Umi no Kuni_ , after all. It took them longer than they expected to finish the mission, so she's glad that they didn't hesitate over putting Sai in a scroll otherwise he would be dead and they'd have bring his corpse home.

Sakura hums, returning her eyes back to the small window of their room. "I suppose we should use this time to rest, since we've got to travel from _Cha no Kuni_ to _Hi no Kuni_ by foot." that alone will probably take a few more weeks before they're back in Konoha.

Neji settles beside her. "It's not your fault." he mutters, sounding both irritated and concerned. She smiles, leaning against him.

"I became stronger with the exact intention of not letting things like this happen." she reveals, falling back onto the bed. Neji shifts, to look back at her fully. He glances at the berry-shaded hair pooling around her head, since it's much longer than her actual hair. "It just irritates me that it's happened anyway, even though I know my standards are unrealistic."

"He's still alive. _We're_ still alive and we've been going on high-risk ANBU missions for years now." he tells her, frowning at her long legs. She supposes it's still a little weird seeing one another as adults. "This is the first time this has happened to us, _because_ we're strong. Just because it's finally happened doesn't mean any of us are weak."

She shifts, angling herself to better see his face. A smile tugs at her lips when he looks disgusted with himself for saying such words, as usual. "Such a cute otouto you are, trying to cheer me up like that." she can't help but tease, laughing when he smacks her thigh in aggravation.

"I shouldn't even try!" he growls, his currently tan skin reddening with embarrassment.

Sakura sits up once more, bringing her legs to her chest and resting her cheek on her knees. "Thank you." she murmurs, blinking when he turns towards her with a deep and adorable frown. "You know Sai and I appreciate you, even if we always tease you."

Neji scoffs, returning the gesture of leaning against her. "He'll be alright… Right?" he whispers, the uncertainty he's been bottling up now spilling out.

"We just have to get him to Konoha's hospital." she reassures him, once more shifting so that he can rest his head on her lap. He doesn't protest, adjusting himself accordingly. "They've easily become the best in recent years, so they'll be able to heal Sai with little trouble."

Her fingers run along his scalp in a soothing motion, his eyes falling shut. The crease between his brow eases, though it's still noticeable. "They'd better. It would be a pain to find a new brother and teammate."

She smiles. "Yeah, it would. I doubt we'd be able to find another one like Sai." though they would never want to replace him.

* * *

When she returns to Konoha, it's expected that she immediately makes her way to the hospital with Neji easily behind her. Perhaps it might be an inconvenience to the guards, but she and her brother have spent weeks reassuring one another that Sai will be fine as soon as they get back. Now they're buzzing with anxiety because they've finally returned.

What's not expected is when she nearly smashes her face into a gigantic bosom that should cause chronic back pain. It's fortunate that she doesn't and backs up with little trouble, but is then faced with a legend who's glaring down at her as if she's ruined the woman's entire day.

Eyes the shade of penny flick to the higanbana on her head, then to the ANBU tattoo on her shoulder and finally back onto her lynx mask. Long, manicured fingers twitch as if wanting to rip off the porcelain shield and see what's underneath.

"What are you in a rush for?" snaps the woman who should look far older than she currently does. Why is it that only Jiraiya looks somewhere near his own age?

Sakura tilts her head, wondering if the irritability is because of the back pain caused by mega breasts. "My teammate needs immediate medical attention… Tsunade-sama." she answers, adding on the woman's name as more of an afterthought than anything else.

Said woman scoffs, before shifting her gaze over to Neji. "He seems to be fine." is the Sannin's sassy response, apparently finding it appropriate to place her hands on her wide hips in an equally sassy manner.

She procures the scroll containing Sai. "My _other_ teammate, who's currently residing in here." she clarifies, feeling the niggle of irritation beginning to bubble in her chest. "I did what I could, but my expertise isn't in medical ninjutsu."

Tsunade frowns, staring down at her in scrutinising manner. Honestly, it feels like the woman is often irked by small things. "Storage scrolls aren't meant to contain living human tissue." she states, a strange mix of tones in her voice. Sakura blinks, before nodding. That seems to set the Sannin off, since arms are immediately flung into the air. "Fuck sake! They were right about you, god, it's the second coming!"

She glances back to Neji, whose shoulders are wrought with tension. It would seem that he's as confused as she is.

"Fuck it! I'll treat your teammate!" Tsunade announces, puffing her chest out and forcing Sakura to step back lest she gets hit in the face. "In return, you become my student for a while so shit like this doesn't happen again."

She pauses, tilting her head and wondering what the hell and how the hell it's gotten to this point. "Uh… Sure?" she agrees, though tentatively because she doesn't really understand what's going on and how to deal with the slug Sannin's erratic pace.

The very same slug Sannin smirks, triumphant. "Don't look so confused, pink stuff. I've heard about you and your chakra control, so you should excel in medical ninjutsu. The reason I reject all those requesting to be my student is because they'll never be able to handle all the advanced shit." she explains, though it doesn't help much.

Another blink from Sakura. "So you want me to be your apprentice because you think I'll be able to handle the advanced levels of your expertise?" she hums, considering. Whilst she wants to expand her knowledge of medical ninjutsu, it feels suspicious that the greatest medic in the world actually wants her as an apprentice.

 _"This is my fault too, yeah."_ Shion drawls, her scratchy voice husky from sleep. Shion probably woke up because of Tsunade's loud voice. _"She wanted me to learn medical ninjutsu from her but I was doing my whole spite thing with Orochimaru, so you know. Tsunade's probably holding a grudge because I decided to forego some important skills for spite, yeah. Then there's dango berry…"_

Of course, she sighs. "Only if you teach my teammates as well." is her condition, because there might be a time when it's her who gets fatally injured and she's unable to heal herself. Each of them have a good grasp of chakra control anyway, so it'd be good to learn even a little from the slug Sannin herself.

Tsunade sneers at her, before taking on an expression of consideration. "Your ANBU captain's Uchiha Shisui, right?" she questions, most definitely rhetorically as a vicious grin takes form. "Yeah, I can accept that. Steal that fucking scum's little monsters for a little while. Piss him off a bit."

"Sai still needs to be healed." Neji coughs, bringing the blonde and somewhat manic woman back to reality. What does Tsunade have against Shisui, Sakura muses?

* * *

Sai's made a full recovery, his skin back to its usual pastiness rather than a sickly pastiness. He had to deal with a few weeks of after effects from being stuck in a storage scroll for so long, such as vomiting and whatnot, but at least he's alive and not buried in the earth. She's not sure how she would cope if he died and she looked upon his corpse. Now she understands Kakashi a little more, because he's lost so many of those he cared about. Just about all of them, really.

She nearly forgot how pitiful he is, how rude of her.

"Aren't you being a little too affectionate?" Neji raises a brow, looking upon Sai basically nuzzle her like a spoiled cat. "Did the medication mess you up?"

Sai hums, content as he settles and rests his head on her lap. She smiles, indulging him. "I realised that I have not been affectionate enough all these years, so I wanted to make up for all the time lost before my untimely death." he explains, staring up at her with that gentle adoration she often sees in his eyes. "You should join in on the affection, otouto."

Neji sneers, content to sit on the edge of her bed. "I'm fine. You can continue smothering Sakura with your affection without me." and really, it sounds like he's sulking.

Her pale, pale brother thinks so too as he shifts and hugs her waist, looking over to their fairer brother. "Sakura-neesama will only be affectionate with me, then." he smiles, making a point of once again nuzzling her. It's all very endearing to her.

The Hyuuga glares at Sai, his fingers twitching before those distinctive eyes of his meets hers. She raises her brows, wearing a patient smile because he will crack soon. He's a little gummy turdmuffin that longs for affection too, after all.

"We should tell him now." Sakura suggests, running her fingers through Sai's hair. "How we've managed to break another law by learning how to deactivate the _Kago no Tori no Juin_ , so he's free from being enslaved by the main family."

She hears Neji's breath hitch, even with the distance between them. "What?"

"It has taken us a while, because of how little information there is in regards to the seal itself." Sai explains, finally sitting up. She grins when she sees that his hair is a mess, deciding to run her hands through it to mess it up even more. "We wanted to surprise you a little earlier, but my injury postponed it."

Their brother says nothing, though they allow him a few moments to digest it all. He frowns at the sheets, opening and closing his mouth since it would seem he doesn't know what to say. Then she sees the glistening of his eyes.

"Are you going to cry?" Sai queries, leaning forward.

Neji makes a sharp turn away, his luscious hair whipping through the air. She and Sai glance at one another, before deciding to ambush their brother with the affection that he won't admit he wants. It's honestly surprising when he doesn't shout in protest, instead trying to focus more on keeping his composure.

When it seems like he's finally about to say something, Sakura leans back and sharply turns towards the open window. There, in all his glory, is a grimy Shisui decked out in his ANBU gear. He's crouching, as the window almost seems too small for him. He's grinning down at them with his typical psychotic flair.

Unfortunately, he also looks displeased. "Hey, my cute little monsters!" he greets, so sickeningly sweet that she's sure they all internally shiver. They've all turned to face him, with varying expressions because he's really a large and terrifying shadow looming over them all.

Sakura wonders why the seals aren't going off, before she remembers that she had to register his chakra signature or he would blow up the entire house.

"So I go on a solo mission ̶ very fun, lots of flying limbs ̶ and then I come back, only to hear that this _old fucking hag with melon tits_ has temporarily stolen my team to teach them about medical ninjutsu! Isn't that just crazy?" he's looking directly at her with his spinning eyes, because he knows that none of that would have happened if she had just declined Tsunade.

Shisui disappears from her window, now inside her room and leaning down towards her. He smells like dirt and blood, the scents only increasing when he cups her face and makes sure she can't look away. "Then I hear this all happened because one of you got fatally injured, and I was so incredibly disappointed to learn that it wasn't a lie, you see?"

Sakura sighs, feeling like this was expected to happen sooner or later. "She offered to heal Sai and in return, we become her students and learn about medical ninjutsu. Isn't it convenient to learn more about it?" she tries, though her voice is in a defeated monotone because he's never satisfied.

"You three are _mine_." Shisui smiles, tilting his head and really emphasising his insanity. "If you were to learn medical ninjutsu, I'd teach it to you or you'd learn it by yourselves. That hoe's been rubbing it in my face and I want to punch her in the fucking tit, but that's a disastrous battle for another time."

"So… Does that mean we are not going to be learning medical ninjutsu under Tsunade-sama?" Sai dares to ask.

Shisui's dirty hands are still holding onto her face, which is starting to become a bother. His brows twitches, his smile widening a fraction. "You are. Team Yamaneko is an ANBU team of excellence and the Hokage agrees that medical ninjutsu should be in your arsenal." then he wraps his arms around them all, squeezing the life out of them rather than giving them a hug. "I suppose that this calls for some renewed schedules, yes? Train with the twin-tailed pig face during the day, then with me at night for the rest of the year!"

Sakura really just wants to know what Shisui and Tsunade have against each other.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,216

 **Total Word Count:** 42,562

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** Haha! Less than ten minutes left and I fucking made it! HAHA! Canon next chapter, I think. 'Kay, talk later.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	14. Separation Issues in the Family

**A/N:** Day fourteen. Now subtly, hastily edited and re-uploaded.

* * *

Because she's too lazy and too used to her own ANBU attire, she simply slaps some concealer over her shoulder tattoo and decides that's good enough for pretending to be a genin. Although, she's been told that even if her chakra's hidden she still has an intimidating air that's most reminiscent of older and more experienced ninja.

That's just too bad, but then again her temporary genin team isn't exactly unfamiliar with her. She doubts they would care if she looks like a genin or not, what with their individual opinions being varying degrees of positive.

"This greatly displeases me." Sai comments, with that transparent smile of his as they sit together at the table. "I do not approve of this at all."

Neji is stabbing at his rice, his general irritability mixed with both morning irritability and the 'new team' irritability. The bowl cracks, as expected, though she almost expects the rice to burst into flames what with that surprisingly impressive glare of his.

"You're not being replaced." she placates them, patting Kakashi's arm when he greets with her a morning hug from behind. "This is just a long term mission where I'll be added security to Naruto and Sasuke, since they're both rather important to the village. As I'm both qualified and their friend, it only makes sense that they arrange for me to be the obligatory third teammate."

Kakashi's unbelievably ecstatic with the arrangement, his movements light and airy like he's about to float away at any second. Of course, this brings the ire of her brothers as they aren't particularly pleased about this development.

"They are unworthy." Sai states without remorse, his smile starting to become a little discomforting now. "They do not deserve to be on the same team as Sakura-neesama."

Neji nods, somehow managing to eat in a dignified manner despite how savage his anger appears to be. It's really quite a talent, like the way his room is nearly entirely littered with stray strands of hair. Perhaps they've influenced his inability to keep his room clean, since the house is rather cluttered.

"You're overqualified and it sickens me to think that others will misjudge your skill because of your outlandish appearance." which is actually a compliment from her little Hyuuga brother, despite how much it sounds like a scathing insult.

Honestly, Sakura finds this all adorable. "Aren't you both being slotted into genin teams as added security yourselves?" she queries, because this year is where a large amount of heirs and heiresses are graduating into genin. The Hokage wants some added insurance, though perhaps he should have rethought his arrangement of teams if so.

Neji's supposed to be in the team with the heiress presumptive to Takeshi's Buki and the heir to Lee clan, though that clan is rather small and of less importance than the heiress on the team. They've been active for about a year, but the third team member has resigned from active duty due to a mission gone wrong, which has called for the inclusion of an appropriate ANBU replacement. Apparently, Might Gai is the jounin teacher and Sakura expects to use this to her advantage soon.

It's about time she met Kakashi's friends, though he's been diligent in making sure they haven't. She's also been lax with him, since it's not that important in comparison to other things.

Sai is in a team with jounin teacher Nara Ensui, and two orphaned genin that may or may not have some connections to Father's business associate and perhaps Orochimaru. They're the kind of team that's created with genin graduates from other class groups, due to various reasons. He's been slotted into the team since it's been confirmed that the sole female is actually related to Naruto, if distantly. Therefore, she's important.

Naruto still hasn't met his distant relative yet, but she wonders how he will react since he has some strong beliefs about family.

"They're splitting us up." Neji hisses, another crack appearing on his rice bowl. He's going to have to clean up the mess if he breaks it. "It feels wrong."

Sai nods his head in agreement, his fingers twitching when Kakashi sits down with his happy puppy mood spewing everywhere. "We are not suited for this type of work. We are a team of sabotage and assault, not bodyguards."

"Well, at least they're all high-tier genin teams. We're meant to protect them, help them grow and make sure they achieve chuunin within the year. Then they'll be separated off into apprenticeships and our mission will be over. We'll still probably go on our usual ANBU missions inbetween, if the Hokage demands we do so." she explains, stretching before taking a seat at the table.

She glances at the empty seat where Father should be, and hopes that he's eating well enough at work.

Her brothers' shoulders relax, just the slightest but they remain tense. They're precious when they're sulking, she thinks with a smile.

* * *

She and Kakashi wait on the roof of the academy for the rest of the team, though she wonders how they'll react when they see the scene of a full grown man with a puppy aura hugging her. Kakashi leans forward, attempting to curl himself around her or something.

"You're going to have to teach them properly instead of drowning me in your affection, you know?" she comments with a small smile. She understands that it's been quite a while since they've managed to spend a significant amount of time together, so it's unsurprising to see how excited he is for this mission.

"Not yet…" he sighs, starting to sway. "I need more affection… I've been feeling neglected and I haven't had enough hug therapy…" he hums, clearly pleased as he gains energy from hugging her.

She wonders why he's not bothered by her scroll being jammed into his stomach with this position. "You might wither away and die if you neglect your hug therapy." she replies with an amused smile, snorting with he makes a strange sound of agreement. "I suppose I'll have to make sure that both you and the other two don't die, then."

The door to the roof squeaks, her eyes sliding towards it to see her two temporary teammates enter. It's been a while since she's seen them, since the rest of last year was hellish. Shion seems to know what's between Shisui and Tsunade, but apparently it's a secret and Sakura will be punished if she knows.

It sounds scandalous, more than anything.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto blinks, his bangs now hanging in his eyes and really emphasising how much he looks like his father. His attire consists of a jacket, a t-shirt and long pants tucked into shin-high ninja sandals, with his hitai-ate tied around his neck. Its colour scheme is orange and black, so he looks both practical and stylish. He probably looks more stylish and cooler because of that unnatural charisma, so it's no wonder he's so popular even though she knows he's a dork in reality.

She smiles. "Hey, Naruto." she greets him, sliding her eyes over to the Uchiha heir and finding herself pleasantly surprised. Though his expression is neutral, it's much more peaceful than the harsh blankness he used to have. His eyes also reflect the change, as they're softer and she doesn't feel like he's going to stare her to death with his intensity. His bangs are even longer than Naruto's, with locks framing his face and making her curious if it's a specific hair trend. The back of his hair still tufts up like the fluffy behind of a duck, which is always amusing.

As expected, his clothes are dark with his shirt being high-collared. From his biceps, black bandages are wrapped all the way down to his fingers with strange bands she assumes is used to secure them. His pants are long and black, and like Naruto's, tucked into his ninja sandals. She has to admit, they look like quite the dazzling pair.

Then Sasuke approaches her with unexpected speed in his steps and envelops her in a hug, thereby ripping her away from the dog of a man. She tenses for a moment, before relaxing and meeting Naruto's amused gaze. With a little hesitance, she returns the Uchiha's hug. She feels an aura of gloom from behind her.

"She stills smells nice." Sasuke murmurs, making her flinch when she feels the tip of his nose on her cheek. "I missed it."

Naruto steps forward, grabbing the back of his best friend's collar and pulling him off of her. "Yeah, okay weirdo. Just remember that she's still with Shikamaru, 'kay? He's already made a point about this and an angry Nara is a scary Nara."

Sakura blinks, tilting her head in thought. She's seen Shikamaru irritated, but it's not what she would call intimidating. Although, last year when he occasionally came to visit he had an irritable aura about him. He also complained a lot about annoying classmates and had to hug her for a full five minutes before he calmed down.

Nara Shikamaru is nothing but cute and fuzzy, although that might hurt his pride a little.

Sasuke frowns, removing himself from Naruto's grip. "It's a dalliance, Naruto. Soon, it'll end and I'll be there to become her one true husband. We'll then create our legacy together and ̶ " he's cut off when a hand covers his mouth, Naruto's expression morphed into one of exasperation.

"We talked about this, dammit. They've been a thing for six years now, dude! That's some serious dedication, you know? They're both intelligent and mature that I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually married, so you need to chill with this stuff!" Naruto exclaims, having a rather heated staring contest with his best friend.

"They look like a nice couple…" Kakashi murmurs near her ear, eliciting a surprised fit of laughter to overcome her. "Very cute… I'm sure the hospital will have created a way for same sex couples to have children together by the time they're of age…"

The 'couple' look over to their new teacher, with the Uchiha's expression far too blank and the Uzumaki's both disgusted and somewhat irritated. He's squinting, leaning back and staring at Kakashi like he's the scum of the Earth.

"What are you, some kind of paedophile interested in underage homoerotica?" the blonde sneers, prompting yet another wave of laughter from Sakura.

Kakashi wraps his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head. "I'm no such thing…" he denies with perfect serenity. "I just thought that you two are quite cute… and perhaps a little intense…"

The two boys don't look very appeased, in fact they look like they've been personally affronted. Sakura feels rather light, though she wonders how her brothers are faring with their own teams. It's probably not that great, as they both aren't very kind to strangers.

"Hey, let go of Sakura-chan you pervert." Naruto demands, having finally removed his hand from Sasuke's mouth who nods in agreement.

Her puppy-like captor tightens his hug. "No… Never…" then he picks her up and jumps into the distance.

Sasuke and Naruto are quick to follow with aggravated expressions contorting their faces.

* * *

Thinking today to be a success, she returns home to find herself assaulted. Surprisingly, even Neji appears to be one of the two assaulters. They hold onto her with a sort of annoyed desperation, trying to use her as a way to calm themselves. Since when has she had that effect on people?

"I abhor them." Sai chuckles, releasing her and showing a smile that looks almost painful. "Ensui-sensei is… adequate, but the other two are unworthy."

Neji surprises her once more when he doesn't let go, which means that he must be quite displeased with his team. "Two of them are the ugliest things I've ever laid eyes on and it personally offends me." he growls, his growling lessening when she pats his head in consolation. "They're obnoxiously exuberant, always yelling something about youth and one-sided rivalries. The girl is… fine. She appears to be offended by _me_ , though I can't see why."

It's probably the hair and its immense beauty, along with effeminate features. The female of his team must be threatened as a woman when Neji's so pretty.

"Oh, my poor brothers." she teases, somehow managing to remove her shoes with one of them still attached to her. "Perhaps we should get our teams to meet and watch the chaos ensue." she suggests, because that sounds like lots of fun.

Her brothers appear to be pleased by this suggestion. "Perhaps they will kill each other." Sai smiles, before frowning. "But then we will have failed our mission."

"Then Shisui would call for a re-education period because of how disappointed he'll be, so we'll have to make sure they don't kill each other." Sakura sighs, gently pushing Neji away since it'd be quite awkward trying to walk when he's attached to her. "It's only for a little while."

"It's been less than a day and I'm done." Neji states, folding his arms as if that will change anything. Her brothers follow her to the kitchen, where she has to start making dinner.

Kakashi's been summoned by the Hokage, so she doesn't know when he'll come back. He'll come seeking for her comfort though, she's sure. She wonders how the others from the group are faring with their own teams.

Shikamaru's with Chouji and Ino, she remembers. Apparently the Yamanaka heiress is still as boisterous and demanding as ever, unfortunately. Hinata should be with the Inuzuka heir and the Aburame heir. Since the mission is a little lax than her usual missions and the dual-training with Tsunade and Shisui is over, they can meet up.

"Datsuji-san has purposefully blind-folded himself and adamantly believes that he can 'kick my ass' as he says." Sai reveals, understandably sounding a little ruffled simply because it's an insult for a newbie genin to think they can defeat an experienced ANBU operative. Even if that's not common knowledge. "I believe that Karin-san might be schizophrenic, as her demeanour has fluctuated multiple times during our meeting."

Sakura prepares the cooking utensils, shooing Sai out of the kitchen and employing the help of Neji who can actually cook. "Well, you two already know my teammates. They've both gotten prettier, although Sasuke more so because of the Uchiha genes. He's improved, although still touchy and has the same cold and blank look whenever he's looking at a stranger. It's a little disconcerting, because he has a fluffiness to his gaze when he looks at me." it makes her uncomfortable, because she keeps remembering how creepy his eyes used to be and the change is strange.

"I do not like how you attract such nuisances." Sai comments, sitting at the edge of the dining table. "It is as though you are a magnet for weirdos."

She releases a huff of amusement, because that sounds about accurate. "There's not much I can do about that, unless you want me to change my appearance." she replies. Although she's not exactly inconspicuous, she's comfortable in her own skin and has managed to become a successful ninja regardless. Changing herself now would feel like she's ashamed of who she is.

"No." Neji snaps, prompting her to blink at him in mild bemusement. "Don't change your appearance. Ever." he's looking away, but she sees the red in his ears.

"Adorable." Sakura sighs, placing down the frying pan and enveloping her Hyuuga brother in a hug. "I love you too, otouto."

Neji just huffs, accepting the affection without complaint. Then Sai joins in and their brother immediately retaliates.

* * *

She blinks up at the giant toad Sannin, feeling like he's leering at her. That's rather perturbing, considering the vast differences in their age. Naruto as well, thinks this disturbing and promptly puts himself in front of her like a barrier.

"Can you not, Hentai-sensei?" the blonde sighs, scratching his head. "Seriously, what the hell's up with you and underage girls?"

Jiraiya recoils, insincerely offended as he presses a hand to his chest. "That hurts, Naruto-chan! Is it my fault that I just wanted to appreciate your cute little teammate, whom bears an uncanny resemblance to your aunt? I was too busy watching little Sasuke-chan be high last time." he giggles, and it's sort of gross.

Sasuke's lack of expression is almost an art form, because now she can see that it's because he's unimpressed. His former blank expression was simply because he didn't know how to function and act like a human. Oh, how far he's come.

"If you weren't one of the Sannin, my clan would have demanded you be thrown in jail." he intones with his usual monotone. It was funny though, she has to admit.

That comment is duly ignored as Jiraiya returns his attention to her, leaning to the side to look around Naruto. "So, Sakura-chan! You like porn and sexual innuendos?" he queries, rummaging through his haori.

Sakura blinks, trying to digest that he's really just asked her that. "I don't mind sexual innuendos, but pornography isn't really my thing." she answers after a moment, deciding to be honest. Sexual innuendos are always fun jokes, but the only one who seems to be interested in porn at the moment is Kakashi. It's a little surprising, but she doesn't really care all that much since everyone in her household have strange hobbies anyway.

Neji and Sai might become interested, although the former would surely deny being interested if asked. It might happen soon with the whole puberty thing. Though she's already stepped into the first stages of puberty a while ago, she still hasn't really gotten used to the gradual changes in her body yet. She will enjoy hearing her brothers' voices crack though, so she's looking forward to that.

Jiraiya nods, in a somewhat grave manner. "Well, that's one out of two I suppose. Oh, the day where we could sit down and enjoy the magnificence of porn together! Such memorable times that I miss dearly!" he exclaims, apparently having forgotten whatever he's looking for to hug himself. It's disturbing.

"You watched porn with Shion-nee…?" Naruto questions him, with a horrified sneer. "What?"

The toad Sannin coughs, settling down. "You see, Naruto-chan, Shion and I often argued about the pros and cons of porn. I would advocate the beauty and emotion of each shot and she would spit at me, telling me I knew nothing of artistry. She was the type to focus on the plot, the acting and whatnot so porn was something she always laughed at." he explains, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head. "Maybe it was because she was an asexual and psychopathic virgin that she couldn't appreciate the wonder of porn."

Naruto scoffs, folding his arms and leaning back in a show of displeasure. "The porn you watch is pretty crap, you know? I'm sure Shion-nee would have liked some of them if you had just shown her the good ones." he responds, with such a firm tone that she blinks at him.

"Do you watch porn, Naruto?" Sasuke queries for her, sounding more curious than anything else. His best friend whips around, with a smirk.

Jiraiya's begun muttering to himself and she can hear something about annoying kids and their stupid valid points. She does agree with Naruto though, since Shion could appreciate porn if it was actually good. The type that she assumes the toad Sannin to be interested in is that cheesy and unrealistic type, like the books Kakashi reads from time to time.

"Of course I have." he laughs, as if that's an accomplishment. "I can show you some." then he wiggles his brows at both her and Sasuke.

Sakura snorts. "No, another time. You're supposed to be training, not watching porn." because if Naruto fails to become a chuunin due to slacking off, she's fairly sure Sai and Neji will ruin the poor blonde.

Naruto's talented, but he'd die against two experienced ANBU operatives whose captain is _Shunshin no Shisui_.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,351

 **Total Word Count:** 45,913

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** So I had less than five minutes to upload this. It's been a little stressful, but I'm having fun somewhere. Your continued support really helps, so thank you for that. Sorry if the chapter's confusing, I actually barely remember what I've written. See you tomorrow.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	15. The Fun of Missions

**A/N:** Day fifteen.

* * *

When she looks upon the Hokage, she can't help but yawn each and every time she sees him. It's like his perpetual fatigue wafts over to her, making her wonder why he's not dead yet. Honestly, she thinks it's about time he call upon a successor to take the hat. Naruto's too young yet, but there's always one of the Sannin.

"So can we go on a mission that's actually worthy of us or are you going to stick us with more D-ranks?" Naruto drawls with the expected lack of respect, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. Iruka slouches in his chair, seemingly used to his former student's blatant disrespect towards most authority figures.

Her temporary Academy teacher has been eying her with something akin to morbid fascination, like he's both impressed but upset that she's impressive in the first place. He's one of those kind souls that wants children to be children, even if he's teaching them to become weapons with blind loyalty every day.

There's some kind of hypocrisy that puts a bad taste in her mouth.

The Hokage takes a puff from his pipe, taking his time in responding and giving her a particular look. She nods, as it's hers and Kakashi's job to look after these two dorks. Although she wonders why it seems as though she's taking the reins on Sasuke's and Naruto's hands-on education from Kakashi. "If that's what you want. A C-rank to _Nami no Kuni_ , where you'll be protecting a certain bridge builder until he's completed his project. You'll meet your client tomorrow, at the third gate."

After some other somewhat significant details and handing out missions scrolls, Naruto and Sasuke are dismissed first. Then, after another bout of somewhat significant details it's Kakashi who's dismissed next. When she's alone, she yawns again and hears the audible sigh of the Hokage.

"We are under the impression that Tazuna-san has lied to us about the difficulty of the mission." he reveals, his fingers intertwined and looking rather solemn. "After some investigation, we have learned that Gatou of _Gatou Kanpanii_ has expressed interests in _Nami no Kuni_. It would seem that Gatou plans to eliminate Tazuna-san since the creation of the bridge conflicts with his interests. I would like for you to find and eliminate Gatou whenever you deem it convenient. Afterwards, destroy his company. Another may attempt to take the throne otherwise."

That would be Father, Sakura thinks. "What's your estimation of appropriate mission difficulty?" she inquires, finding this opportunity convenient since Father's been wanting to get rid of Gatou for a while now.

"At best, B-rank. At worst, A-rank. It's likely that Gatou has hired missing nin varying between chuunin and jounin. Deal with them however you deem appropriate. Other details with be within this scroll." Hiruzen tosses her the said scroll, to which she catches without much thought.

It doesn't take her long to read through it all, memorise it and then burn it. "Is that all, Hokage-sama?"

He stares at her for a moment, before nodding. "Dismissed."

* * *

It's a little unusual for her and her brothers to go on solo missions, but she supposes that they're more upset because they have to babysit their new genin teammates now whilst she's gone. Unfortunately for them, a mission is a mission. She's not ready to declare treason or anything like that yet.

Tazuna's appearance is rather nondescript in that he looks like one of many angry, elderly men with a drinking habit. He sees Team Seven and scowls, unimpressed with what he's seeing. It's… somewhat understandable considering his protection is three children and an adult who's almost bouncing as he walks.

" _You're_ my protection?" the elderly man scoffs, unbelieving. "None of you look like you'd be any good at being bodyguards."

Naruto chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck which is his sign of irritation. "Yeah, well you look like a shitty old man who's about to die of alcohol poisoning at any moment. But I hear you're actually a master at building bridges, so guess that means looks can be deceiving." he retorts, in that light but cutting tone of his.

Their client glares through his small spectacles, both offended and probably trying to come up with a witty retort. It's not surprising that he clicks his tongue and turns away, unable to argue against that.

"Aren't you ninja meant to be respectful to your clients?" is his irked query, turning his attention over to Kakashi whom is meant to be considered to be the mature leader and mediator. Shamefully, Kakashi is too busy swimming in his own bliss to care about the troubles of grumpy old men.

Sakura tilts her head, drawing Tazuna's eye. "The client isn't always right, Tazuna-san. Especially when they're lying to us about mission difficulty or something similar." she smiles, imitating both Father's and Sai's signature expressions. With a nervous twitch from their client, she steps forward as a cue to start moving. "Let's go, yes?"

Her blonde teammate drapes an arm around her shoulders as they walk, grinning at her. "It's not a C-rank…?" he whispers in question, doing a good job of not eying the client who's stepped into Kakashi's pace. Probably because Kakashi is the only adult and therefore automatically more reliable despite his behaviour.

"It's likely that we'll encounter missing nin ranked from chuunin to jounin." she answers, glancing over at Sasuke as he tries to burn Naruto's hand with his gaze alone. "Be on your guard, alright?" because she'll have to step back and let the two boys handle it, unless it gets too rough for them.

They have to experience the hardships of missions in order to grow, after all.

The Uchiha finally grows tired of Naruto's arm around her shoulders, so he manually removes his best friend's arm from her. "It irks me." is Sasuke's simple explanation, even running his fingers over her shoulders as to brush off germs.

Naruto snorts, leaning away and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Just because we're on a mission, I'll postpone messing with you." he smirks, winking at her because messing with Sasuke means messing with her. She doesn't mind too much, since it's more amusing than annoying. Most of the time.

However, he's right that it's not the time right now to mess around. She feels the sloppily-hidden chakra signatures of the shinobi tailing him, though it's much sooner than she expected. Perhaps they were waiting for Tazuna to leave, although she wonders how he even got Konohagakure in the first place if Gatou's hired missing nin to get rid of the bridge builder.

Gatou might have hired missing nin after Tazuna departed to Konohagakure, then the said missing nin followed the trail and waited outside the gates.

Her eyes land on the single puddle in sight, which is really going against the whole inconspicuous tone ninja are meant to go for . In actuality, that's just plain horrible and it wouldn't take much to get rid of them right now.

She doubts that Naruto or Sasuke will have a hard time dealing with them.

Just as they're passing by the puddle, Naruto pulls out some kind of vial and pours the contents over the puddle. The group pauses and she's somewhat bemused that the missing nin haven't made their move yet. "I wanted to see if this thing I made could turn the water orange."

Sasuke then abruptly sets the puddle on fire, revealing that the liquid is an unscented type of oil. The incompetence of their enemy is almost astounding, as the missing nin burst out of the puddle and are ̶ as expected ̶ on fire. They move frantically in an attempt to put themselves out, leaving them both disoriented and vulnerable.

She steps back with Kakashi and Tazuna as her two teammates charge forward, moving with practised ease as they coordinate their attacks to take down their flaming opponents. Sakura blinks, finding herself truly disappointed to see such inept ninja as the air becomes heavy with burning metal and flesh.

It's not surprising to see Naruto and Sasuke coordinate their attacks, since they've known each other since they were toddlers at the earliest. Then their skill is at least chuunin, considering the private training from their respective guardians. This is why they're high-tier genin, but really it's just sad that their first kills are too easy.

Naruto seems to agree, when he sneers and ruffles his hair in aggravation. He stares down at charring corpses. "What the hell? I mean, _really_ , what the hell? What the actual fuck was that?"

Kakashi hums, unperturbed. "Well… Good job, Naruto… Sasuke… Let's dispose the corpses and continue on our way…" he praises them with his usual airiness, ignoring the way that Tazuna shakes from the horror of seeing people getting burnt and cut to death.

"This is more underwhelming than I expected." Sasuke comments with a mild frown, watching Kakashi dowse the flames with a simple _Suiton_ jutsu. "Perhaps this is what Itachi-nii felt when he massacred our parents and the Elders."

His best friend twitches, as it's still a sore spot after all these years. They usually attempt to ignore that it ever happened, really.

"There'll be more, I'm sure." Sakura murmurs, thinking of when it's a good time to split off and commence with her primary mission to eliminate Gatou. "They were disgraces as ninja, so don't think of it too much."

* * *

The first thing that Naruto does when in the face of an A-ranked missing nin, is mock their appearance and curious lack of eyebrows. Granted, she does find it a little strange herself but it's not the strangest physical trait to possess. There's a clan reminiscent to shark people, after all.

However, if she looks closer it turns out that he actually does have eyebrows. "You have to look closer, Naruto. His eyebrows are just really small and… plucked." she comments with a purposeful lack of expression.

The Uzumaki snorts. "Who has time to pluck their eyebrows? Especially a missing nin from Kirigakure?"

Momochi Zabuza's brow twitches in irritation, flinging a few kunai in their direction. Naruto smacks one away and she catches the rest, looking down at the weapons before returning her gaze up at the shirtless man.

"You think they can take them on?" she asks Kakashi, leaning her head back in his general direction. Then she tilts her head. "No, that's a bit much even for them. It's too early, how about you two go after the one in the trees?"

"Sounds like you're the leader of this little group, girlie." Zabuza rasps out, sounding like he's smoked far too much in his lifetime. Or maybe that's just how his voice is, since Shion's is naturally low and scratchy. "If that's the case, then what's the famed _Sharingan no Kakashi_?"

"Her pet." Naruto and Sasuke answer in sync. Kakashi beams at this, as though that's something he'd rather be referred to as instead of his official moniker.

Sakura laughs. "He's the teacher, of course. Our dynamics are just a little dysfunctional, that's all." she clarifies with a slight smile. She wonders if there's much point in trying to convince them to go against Gatou, or perhaps she could pay them once she's got her hands on Gatou's funds.

No, she thinks. It's best to just get rid of them, so Kakashi can deal with Zabuza and the other two will fight the one hiding. She'll interfere if necessary, but as of the moment she'll essentially just chill with Tazuna.

She flings a kunai in the hidden ninja's general direction, expecting them to either remain hidden or jump out and reveal themselves. They choose the second and go to stand by their… partner? Master? With their face concealed by a hunter nin mask, she thinks that they're rather androgynous if she goes by the rest of their appearance.

"Deal with the brats, hey Haku?" Zabuza commands, manoeuvring his oversized sword and likely wearing a feral grin behind the bandages in preparation for the impending battle. "I've always wanted to fight someone like you, Hatake Kakashi."

Kakashi hums in response. "Do you think I should kill him…?" he queries, turning to her. She nods, since he has a nice bounty and Kirigakure will probably want that sword back.

"Can you?" she questions in return, with a teasing smile. Even if he's like that, his skills are as lethal as one would expect from a world renowned shinobi.

Her temporary teacher makes a sound similar to a dog whine. "You doubt me…?" but he's smiling behind that mask of his.

Tazuna releases an unexpectedly girly shriek when the battle finally commences.

* * *

Now that they've settled into Tazuna's home, she has to properly give some thought to the fact that Naruto demanded they take in his opponent whom is known as Haku. This, of course, was after Kakashi had severed Zabuza's head and subsequently sent the boy ̶ who is _unbelievably_ effeminate ̶ into a rage. Lots of kekkei genkai centred around ice being flung everywhere, declarations of tools and precious ones, among other things.

After much thought and dealing with yelling contests between Naruto and Haku, Sakura decided that it'd be convenient if they could turn the teen into one of their own. The Hyouton is a rare kekkei genkai and there are ways to forcefully change people's minds. Since he seems to have a thing for being a tool, perhaps they could just influence him to be _their_ tool instead. If not, well, it's not really much of a painful loss.

"Is it really a good idea to have him here?" Tazuna questions them, eying the despondent pretty boy teen with wariness and distrust. "He can't… harm us, right?"

"Nah," Naruto waves a dismissive hand as he shoves some rice in his mouth, "his chakra's sealed and he'll go into shock or something if he moves too quickly at any time. You've got some scary ideas, Sakura-chan." there's also the part where his hands and feet are chained, for added security.

She hums, leaning on the table and staring at their hostage. He's truly devastated that Zabuza's gone and though she doesn't feel much guilt for being a part of the man's demise, she understands. Just the mere thought of losing any one of the people she cares about is painful enough. She can only imagine how shattering it must be to lose them.

All the males of her team, including Haku are littered in injuries. They're mostly small and inconsequential, though most of Naruto's injuries are almost entirely healed thanks to the special existence sealed in his stomach. She had to heal Kakashi's broken hand and Sasuke's twisted ankle after he managed to slip on ice. That led to Naruto bursting out in unintentional laughter, which made him vulnerable and an enraged Haku took it.

They're idiots, she sighs.

"I could make you forget him." Sakura murmurs, resting her chin on her intertwined fingers. Haku gives a miniscule twitch, but his blank gaze remains on the table. "You could forget that he ever existed, so you don't have to feel the pain of his loss."

She knows that's basically an insult to Zabuza's memory, but it's intentional. Haku's brow twitches then, before he slowly raises his head and meets her eyes with an impressive glare of utter hatred. She only smiles in return.

"How could you ask me that?" he spits, his voice neither too feminine nor masculine.

Silence reigns over the cheap dinner table, with the slight clanking of utensils tapping bowls and plates. The tension in the air is strong, but it's not as oppressive as it could be.

Sakura shrugs, straightening and cracking her back. "You understand that we're going to take you back to Konohagakure, then you'll be conditioned to become a loyal shinobi and start a new life there. This is something you have no choice in, so I was just curious if you wanted the pain to go away before all that." she stands, sliding her gaze over to Naruto. "He's your responsibility, you know."

Naruto frowns, looking over to their captive with a peculiar expression. "Yeah… Sorry to bother you with him." he smiles, and she thinks it's such a complicated smile.

"I have some business to attend to, so I'll see you guys later." she pats a sleepy Kakashi on the head as she passes him. "Don't wait up for me."

"Where are you going?" Sasuke questions her, sounds almost alarmed.

She turns with a secretive smile. "That's classified."

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,766

 **Total Word Count:** 48,679

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** There was a long ass rant here before, but I decided to get rid of it because no one needs that in their life.


	16. Chuunin Exams: Part I

**A/N:** Day sixteen. Feeling a little better now, but I remembered how much I hate canon.

* * *

Somehow, Naruto's managed to take in Haku as a stray once they've returned to Konohagakure. She had expected the former partner of Momochi Zabuza to be thrown into the bowels of the KGJB, to be interrogated and then wiped clean for reconditioning. It's happened before, but she supposes it's because Naruto is… special and he has certain privileges.

After all, they're training him to be one of the future Hokage. Perhaps not the Godaime Hokage, or even the Rokudaime Hokage… but the position will be his eventually. Sometimes, she looks at him smiling about that fact. It's such a conflicted, pained smile that makes her wonder if he truly wants to be Hokage or it's being forced upon him.

Nevertheless, whenever Team Seven meets up at his house it's to be expected that Haku is there. The teenager is on house arrest, in a matter of speaking. He's rather partial towards Naruto, which is understandable because of the blonde's overwhelming charisma and continued effort to be a nice person.

Haku doesn't like her nor Sasuke very much, although neither of them are very bothered about it. It's possibly because she hasn't gone out of her way to connect with him, as well as the possibility that her first words to him are still fresh and sore in his mind. Then there's Sasuke, who's similar to her brothers because he's just as personally offended whenever she's being insulted or viewed negatively.

The difference is that her brothers don't plan on marrying her and creating a legacy together. The legacy likely referring to the bit where she pops out a few children. That's just an unpleasant thought.

Kakashi is an anomaly to the androgynous male, since such a famed person has such a peculiar personality that's nowhere near as intimidating as his reputation suggests. So, Naruto really is the only one whom Haku is willing to really interact with. He can't really interact with anyone else, save for the caretakers that are a little dismissive.

Still… as she looks upon the two interacting, she gets the strangest feeling that there's a little more to their interactions. Naruto is as charming and engaging as usual, but his new housemate… smiles in that adoring fashion that's reminiscent to looking upon a crush.

Sakura exhales, folding her arms and tilting her head in thought. Sometimes, she thinks that Naruto knows how much sway he has and purposefully uses it to manipulate people. It truly reminds her of Shion, which would make sense since they're related. Other times, it's like he's oblivious to the fact that almost the entire village adores him.

"So I know that we're the reason that you're in this position, but…" Naruto leans back on the couch, sliding his gaze over to his team whom are sitting on the couch across from him. "Well, maybe you guys could at least try to get along? It's been like a month or two since you've starting living here and there's still no progress."

Haku's smile freezes, eliciting a somewhat amused sensation to bubble in her chest. "It's… difficult, I'm sorry. I don't think they like me very much." he replies, with that soothing voice that has the ability to lull you to sleep. If you let it, of course.

In truth, it's Haku who doesn't like them and they've just been going with the flow. Sakura's been busy between going on missions with her genin team, then her ANBU team and even having to do dual missions like the C-rank to _Nami no Kuni_. Along with that, she's had to make sure that her brothers haven't killed their teammates. Sai actually brought home a bundle of Karin's lopped off hair, stating that he'd like to learn about fuuinjutsu reminiscent to curses like in those fantasy novels.

Then there's Kakashi, who needs love and affection lest he shrivel into a mess of worthless gloom. She has to deal with Sasuke as well, since he's been stalking her whenever she finds the time to visit Shikamaru and his family.

Now, the Chuunin Exams are coming up soon and she's been notified that the three children of the Yondaime Kazekage are going to attend. It's also likely that she and her team will have to supervise the genin teams from Konoha in the Chuunin Exams, since a vast majority are considered important.

She's been busy, so she doesn't have the time to make new friends with Naruto's new pet. "Will he be able to go outside and watch you perform in the Chuunin Exams?" she queries to Naruto, beginning to pet Kakashi as he spontaneously rests his head on her lap. She also slaps Sasuke's hand to stop him from pulling on the unruly, cloudy hair.

Naruto looks over to Haku, whom appears to be doing his best at looking amicable. "Should do. They think the seal you used to block his ability to use chakra should be security enough. After the Chuunin Exams, ojiisan says Haku will be able to go through a trial period to be inducted into the standard forces."

"That's good, then." she replies, feeling an urge of deviousness. "The Kubikiribouchou and Momochi Zabuza's head has been returned to Kirigakure, with mutual benefit between each village. There's a chance for a positive alliance between Konohagakure and Kirigakure now that it's under new management."

The former partner of the said missing nin tenses, then he pins her a fierce glare. Is it bad of her that she likes that expression most on his face? "You're _purposefully_ antagonising me." he seethes, his voice lowering into a more masculine pitch.

She smiles, genuinely pleased with the turn of events. "I can't help it, Haku-san. I like your ferocity more than your gentleness." she admits, without shame.

His expression morphs into a mix of loathing and distaste, before he abruptly calms himself by taking a deep breath. After a moment, he smiles with an extra layer of false pleasantry. She's played this game before, she thinks with a smile.

"I see." Haku murmurs, his pitch back to its usual androgynous softness. "You're such a strange girl, Sakura-san. It makes me wonder how you have friends."

Sakura sharply exhales to reveal her amusement. "You're such a kind soul, Haku-san. I've wondered if your reverence towards Zabuza-san was as simple as platonic devotion, or if it was something a little… _more_."

Haku lunges for her, which really just goes to show that he's not comfortable with his own sexual orientation. She doesn't actually care, but it's been a while since she's riled anyone up without intending to kill them. She's also been a little stressed of late, so whilst it might be bad of her to use him as a form a stress relief… she does it anyway.

"Guys! Holy shit ̶ oh, whoa… You guys really need to sort this shit out, you know? This table was really expensive, apparently."

* * *

She's off resupplying her weapons and whatnot since the Chuunin Exams are only a few days away, when she feels both a potent but muffled chakra signature and a piercing stare burning into her back. With deliberate nonchalance, she turns around to see who's the next person to go on her blacklist of people partial to intense staring.

He's on one of the many roofs, sitting down and refusing to look away when she meets his eyes. Then she frowns, because if she's not mistaken that's _Sabaku no Gaara_. He's as distinctive as his pictures illustrated, although seeing him in person is quite different to a drawing or photo.

His chakra is the oppressive kind, but it would seem he's cloaking it from the general masses since no one around her is really paying him any mind. Some notice, but they don't do much more than walk a little faster.

Sakura weighs the two decisions of either approaching him or ignoring him, since he hasn't done anything but pin her under his aggravating gaze. She's leaning more towards ignoring him, since she'd like to bulk buy a few new articles of clothing before doing anything else.

Her usual tight-fitting, sleeveless turtleneck is starting to hug her body a little too much. Oh, puberty and its annoyances. She's not sure if she should continue binding her chest or not, instead going for an alternative like exercising bras. Otherwise she might be hurting the development of her breasts.

Her decision made with an off-hand thought of how troublesome the body can be, she gives him a dismissive wave before continuing on her way. When his stare remains, she decides she might as well just arrive at her destination by using the _Shunshin_. Once she's done executing the technique, she walks into the tailor shop aimed towards ninja and hopes the heavily implied jinchuuriki of the Ichibi doesn't find her again for a little while.

After picking out her clothes, she greets the familiar clerk with a slight smile and nod in acknowledgement. "Rikuto-san."

Rikuto grins at her, pushing messy bangs the shade of denim out of his face. "Sakura-san. It's always nice to see you around. You bring an aura of soothing wherever you go." he replies, grabbing her clothes and checking the prices. "You said before it's because of your higanbana crown?"

Her automatic instinct is suspicion because who starts a conversation like that? Still, she continues to smile. "Yes, essentially. Higanbana usually don't have a pleasant aroma, but there are ways to make them smell nice." the calming effect is usually to make people more susceptible to genjutsu.

She sighs, having only recently realised that the higanbana is why she has people coming to her for comfort. She's used to it, so she might have forgotten about that particular effect for a while.

"You're amazing." Rikuto murmurs to himself, before smiling up at her. "That's four thousand, one hundred and eighty-nine ryou. You really stock up on clothes every time, huh?" he chuckles, accepting the money she offers to him and putting her items in a large bag.

"Yes, well… I'm a ninja. Sometimes the clothes can be salvaged, but other times it's best to just throw them away. Buying new clothes all at once saves me from coming back every time I ruin my clothes." Sakura responds, although she feels that should have been obvious. Perhaps he's just trying to make conversation. He's never really been good at that, but she had hoped he would have improved by now.

Rikuto rubs the back of his head, his expression sheepish. "Yeah, that should've been obvious. Sorry, you know I'm not good at small talk." he hands her the bag over the counter. "Thanks for shopping here, as always."

She nods, bidding her farewells before walking out. She might stop by a few restaurants to get some food for Neji and Sai, since they've been understandably irritable of late. They're much calmer when they've eaten their favourite food, making it easier to deal with them.

Her skin tingles, much to her annoyance. She turns again, finding the same red-themed child with the giant gourd at his back staring at her from above once more. Deciding to pull an Itachi by abruptly and rudely appearing in Gaara's personal bubble, she blinks when the sand he's famed for only shifts around him in an almost anxious manner. Strange, since she expected it to automatically retaliate against her sudden proximity. It's been in his reports that his peculiar sand manipulation almost acts like it has a separate conscious.

"Is there something you need, _Sabaku no Gaara_?" she queries, taking a moment to seal her purchases into a small storage scroll. It's such a convenience. "I don't appreciate the staring."

Gaara blinks. She takes note of the severe outlining of his eyes from insomnia, the near arctic shades of his irises and his lack of visible pupils. "… No." he answers after ten seconds of silence, with an unexpectedly deep monotone. "I simply wished to examine you from afar, as you… stand out in the crowd."

Sakura feels her face contort to reflect how unimpressed she feels with that explanation. She remains silent, having started a spontaneous staring contest to see how long it takes for him to become discomforted with her unusual silence and unwavering gaze.

Not long apparently, as his brow forms into a frown. It's a little strange, since he has no eyebrows. "Stop it." he says, leaning back. His fingers twitch, almost erratic in their movement. "You have pretty eyes and I want to take them… but I'm not allowed. Stop tempting me. I have to be… nice."

She really needs to stop finding the psychotic ones, she thinks with a sigh. "Yes, that'd be recommended unless you want to start something between our villages. Wait until the second stage of the Chuunin Exams, then you can be all insane and take people's eyes." she smiles, stepping back. "Not mine though, you can't have mine."

His head tilts, the corners of his eyes and lips twitching in an odd manner. "That… sounds like a challenge. I want to know who you are." his sand drifts around his feet, before a section begins to curl around her ankles. Not so much as a threat, but she's still cautious. "Will you tell me?"

"I'll tell you next time, maybe." she replies, stepping away from his sand. It follows her, though not as quickly as she expects. "If you behave during your time here. Welcome to Konohagakure, Gaara-san."

She leaves him with a swirl of flower petals, because Shion's flair for the dramatic has undoubtedly passed onto her.

* * *

There's too many teams from Konoha, but unfortunately for some she and her brothers have to prioritise an alliance with the heirs and heiresses. The first stage is child's play to her, but the second stage will be difficult because it's become Team Yamaneko's responsibility to take care of all the important teams.

Team Seven, Team Eight, Team Ten, Team Four and Team Five. That's twelve genin that she, Sai and Neji have to look out for and make sure they don't die.

"I would say let them all burn but mission failure is quite an unpleasant outcome." Sai comments, his smile of distaste in place. "Datsuji-san is unimportant, so he can die as a sacrifice if we have to."

Neji has a nasty smirk, his arms folded as his head is likely filled with unadulterated violence directed towards his team. Mostly towards Rock Lee, she's fairly certain. "Tenten's more important than Lee, so the same can go for that ugly green blob." he states, before foregoing his folded arms to flick his hair. How fabulous.

Sakura half-heartedly attempts to curb her smile. "The role of sacrifice would go to the other Konoha genin teams, but they'd probably be thinking the same of us so we'll leave them out of the alliance. I'll have to tag each one of our… charges." she glances over to the Aburame heir. "Or we could get Shino-san to put bugs on them, though we'd have to rely on him to keep an eye on everyone's locations."

"Why not both?" Sai suggests. "It would be both a learning experience for the Aburame heir, and you will also be able to ensure their safety if he happens to fail."

"That could work." Sakura replies, tilting her head. "The tags aren't as developed as I would like them to be, since I'd at least like to be able to recreate the Nidaime Hokage's _Hiraishin no Jutsu_. But, as of the moment they should suffice since I'd be able to know where everyone is."

Neji hums. "You still have to convince them to let you do it." he points out, glancing over to the large group of important genin that are arguing amongst themselves. She looks in the same direction, pinpointing Shikamaru.

The Nara turns to her, using his strange radar where he knows when she's looking. They smile at one another, but remain separated for the moment. He abruptly turns away and steps back when Karin aggressively leaps for Datsuji, who's laughing and dodging her assault with an ease despite his self-induced handicap. She wonders if he's blind or he's hiding a trump card.

Naruto's been staring at Karin strangely for a while, but he should be careful since Sai is sure that Karin believes any guy who stares is attracted to her and any girl is envious. That kind of overconfident personality clashes with Ino's own personality… Then there's Datsuji and Kiba whom are both boisterous and energetic, making them compatible as a mischievous duo or as rivals. It's just a mess, really.

"They're going to kill each other before any other genin kill them." Neji hisses under his breath, glaring at Lee who's gushing over the joys of romantic youth. Tenten just stares at her nails with a concentrated frown, probably wishing everyone to drop dead in her mind.

The brightening of Sai's smile is endearing, even if it's because the thought of their charges killing one another. "If we are lucky, perhaps they will simply fail the first stage of the exam." if they exclude Team Seven, Team Four and Team Five… then yes, that would be nice. Far more convenient.

It's not entirely mandatory as of yet for Team Eight and Team Ten to pass the Chuunin Exams this year, but their clans and jounin teachers think that it's a good learning experience anyway. The bastards are trying to make her life harder.

She feels a familiar tingle on her skin, prompting her to turn and find the reason for why. She catches sight of the teams from Sunagakure, finding Gaara among them and once again staring at her. He doesn't blink until she does, which is a little… weird.

Sakura smiles, giving a small wave in greeting. She doesn't expect him to respond, but she sees him give a rigid nod before she returns her attention back to her siblings. Unsurprisingly, they caught the exchange.

"Did you grab the attention of yet another goddamn maniac?" her Hyuuga brother demands, though his voice remains as a soft whisper.

Sai blinks at the youngest child of the Yondaime Kazekage. "I hear that he had a morbid fascination with eyes, as he tends to loot them from his victims. Do you think there is a philosophy behind his actions?" he wonders aloud, facing her.

She shrugs. "To some, the eyes are the windows to the soul. Perhaps it's his way of showing that he's crushed the souls behind those eyes."

* * *

The first stage was difficult for a vast majority of the genin, as getting caught cheating even once means a disqualification that extends to the disqualified genin's team. The explanation for the first stage had heavily implied cheating, so that it should be been obvious from the very beginning what they needed to do in order to pass. As for pulling off what they needed to do… That's the difficult part.

Three teams from Konohagakure have passed, two from Amegakure, one from Sunagakure, one from Takigakure and two from Kirigakure. Team Eight and Team Ten were disqualified, as Kiba actually tried to use Akamaru as a way to cheat and Ino was caught trying to use hand signs for her clan's technique.

"You can try again in the next one, yeah?" Naruto says as they stand before Team Eight and Team Ten. "This one was a little insane, seriously. Getting disqualified from being caught once is pretty harsh."

"It is appropriate, as being found out by the enemy has a high chance of ending in death or capture." Sai states, patting Naruto on the shoulder with a little more force than necessary. Her brothers are still sore over Sasuke and Naruto 'replacing' them. "You are lucky that Sakura-neesama is on your team to ensure your survival."

Naruto winces, though attempts to keep his amicable smile. He tries, and fails to remove Sai's hand from his shoulder. "Yeah, of course man. We know she's awesome and we appreciate her a lot. Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke gives a soft smile. "Yes." he confirms in a clear voice. "I have a shrine dedicated to her…" he murmurs in a less than clear voice, although she can hear.

Neji scoffs, tilting his chin up as he folds his arms. "Clearly not enough, since she has to look after you in battle and you can't protect her back. You don't deserve her."

Sakura sighs, trying to ignore the way that the surrounding genin are eying this scene with bemusement whilst chatting amongst themselves. She steps in front of her genin team and her ANBU team, smiling at the members of Team Eight and Team Ten. "Anyway, as Naruto was saying. You'll get another chance. Besides, I think it's best that you guys missed out on this one." she glances over to Gaara and his team, then to the other teams that passed. "You guys are better than a majority of other genin, but some of these other teams are a little too overqualified."

Shikamaru glances around, rubbing the side of his neck before exhaling. "Yeah… I suppose. Good luck." he smiles, reaching out and brushing his fingers against the back of her hand. "It must be troublesome."

She smiles, jabbing Datsuji in the throat with two of her fingers as he's about to run past her to get away from Karin. The blind genin grunts, slapping a hand to his neck before beginning to tip over. Karin yells, tripping over him and throwing them both onto the floor.

"That was beautiful!" Lee exclaims from somewhere behind her. "Such efficiency! Such youth! Such magnificence! Who is this beautiful blossom?! Neji-kun, you appear to be acquainted! Introduce me so that I may dare to ask for her hand!"

Neji snarls and she immediately feels his and Sai's presence at her back. "Get rid of such blasphemous, _vile_ thoughts! You scum, I will beat you down until you understand that you will never be worthy!" he spits, with so much dramatic vehemence that she can't help but smile.

"Ah, otouto. What an admirable declaration, I agree." Sai releases an ominous chuckle. "As of the moment, there is no one more viable for the position of Sakura-neesama's romantic favour than Shikamaru. Sasuke-san does not count and neither do you."

Tenten smiles at her, with an impressed gleam in her eyes. They're a nice shade of hickory. "You must be something, Sakura-san. I've never seen Neji-kun so riled up that he yells, it's really impressive. It's normal that he kicks Lee's ass though, it's like he's in a whole other league."

Sakura chuckles, although it's a little lacking. "Possessive brothers." if her brief explanation, her eyes sliding over to Shikamaru who gives her a pitying smile.

The brunette of Neji's team nods in understanding. "Yeah, I get what you mean. I said I wanted a boyfriend, but then Taichi-nii flipped out on me and threatened to lock me up forever." the smile that forms on Tenten's face is rather predatory, likely from the memory playing in her head. "I think he forgot that _I'm_ the ninja in the family."

In all her life, there has never been so stressful of a moment ̶ aside from Sai's spontaneous trip to poke his eyes in death's waters ̶ as having such a large group of genin together. Too many clashing personalities and opinions, leading to the rise of chaotic tension.

She sighs in resignation. A mission is a mission, after all.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,919

 **Total Word Count:** 52,598

 **Targeted Word Count:** 1,667

* * *

 **A/N:** I've completed the 50k word count thing, even though we're only halfway through the month. So I have that done, but can I continue updating everyday for the rest of the month? That's the real challenge, I think. Thank you to everyone who's sticking around, I appreciate it.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	17. Chuunin Exams: Part II

**A/N:** Day seventeen. Fight scenes aren't my forte, especially when there's time constraints and I'm dying. Sorry.

* * *

As it's not the first time that they've been in the _Shi no Mori_ and they've been to places far worse than this, she and her brothers don't feel the anxiety that the rest of the genin have been taken by. However, she and her brothers _do_ share the irritability that comes from being so high strung with the other children.

If Karin wasn't a spectacular sensor nin, Sakura feels like she would have punched the not-yet-announced Uzumaki in the face and made Datsuji drag her around. It could still happen, as whilst her ability is convenient… they can work around it.

She's really tempted to take a few more pointers from Shion and try to rewire some things in their heads, which really just goes to show that this kind of mission just isn't her forte. Nor her brothers', but that's been obvious from the beginning.

"So you're Sai's sister?" questions the single redhead of the group, with an unsubtle dose of condescension. "He talks you up so much, but now that I really focus on you I don't think you're much. I can't even feel your chakra signature, it's like you're not even there."

There's a reason for that, of course.

She can practically feel the bristling of _all_ her teammates, but she smiles. "I find your opinion of me irrelevant, Karin-san. Now's not the time to see me as some kind of threat to your existence, as we're in a literal forest of death and you've given the okay that no one will be held responsible for your death."

Datsuji snickers from somewhere behind her. "Is it treason to kill your own teammate?" he asks, to no one in particular. He has a somewhat aggravating voice.

"Who thought it was a good idea to put the two of you on the same team?" Naruto inquires instead, looking both concerned and irritated. "Seriously, I thought you guys got it when Sakura-chan said that our opponents have chuunin-level skills at the lowest and jounin at the highest. Datsuji, dude, if you kill Karin then you and your team fail. _Idiot_."

Sai holds Datsuji back from lunging after the blonde. She looks around the group, finding Neji's team to be the most serious so far. Even Lee has a focused frown and has thankfully quietened down, otherwise his yelling would attract some unwanted company. Sasuke's looking around with his Sharingan activated and Karin's huffed away from Sakura to look at the Uchiha in awe, probably because he's pretty.

They would be a terrifying couple, truly. If Sasuke ever gets over his obsessive insistence on their future together, she hopes to all things fortunate that he chooses someone… well, sane. That might be hard, because the world is fall of crazies.

"Are there any teams nearby?" she sighs, deciding that she might as well see how they do in such a situation. Maybe she should put them in some risky situations, then interfere as necessary.

Karin blinks, adjusting her glasses then frowning up at the sky. Surprisingly, she obeys without complaint. "The Kirigakure teams are together… South of us. The Amegakure teams are a few kilometres away from them, but they split up and… I think they're going to try ambushing the Kirigakure teams." the redhead shivers all of a sudden, but Sakura understands as she can feel the oppressive chakra herself even though sensing isn't her speciality. "The… Sunagakure team has killed the Takigakure team already. They're west of us, but they're moving towards the tower."

"We'll stay clear of the Suna nin for now." she states, glancing at Naruto slapping Datsuji and whisper-yelling for the blind guy to listen. She could get Sai to simply use his _Chouju Giga_ to scout the surrounding area with relative ease, but she supposes that it should be left to the genin who've yet to prove themselves. That means letting someone else take control and see how they do, rather than doing it all herself as she's used to.

She turns to Naruto, who readily meets her eyes. "I'll hand the leadership role onto you, Naruto. Sai, Neji and I will take a back seat but we'll help as necessary." Naruto blinks, his eyes widening before they narrow in determination and he nods.

"Alright, I'll do my best." he grins, looking over the rest of the group. "Can you guys tell me what your specialities are, since I don't really know all that much about you?"

Karin takes an abrupt forward with a frown. "Whoa, hold up! Why are those three going to stand back and let us do all the work? That sounds seriously unfair to me!" she places her hands on her hips, directing a glare over to Sakura and her brothers.

Sai tilts his head, with that irked but personable smile. "Perhaps you have not noticed, Karin-san, but we are far above your current skill level. This is because we are not genin, and our mission is to guard you all by acting as your teammates. However, it is also our mission to ensure that you grow as ninja. If we do everything for you, then your growth will be stunted." he explains, with a certain sense of relief now that it's all out in the open. "It is a confusing, vexing mission but we will see it through to the end."

Well, the mission parameters did say that it's acceptable to reveal themselves if necessary. In her case, Sasuke and Naruto already know of her and her brother's statuses. She's never said as much, but it's not hard to figure out when they've known each other for as long as they have.

Tenten furrows her brow in consideration. "That means that you guys probably aren't genin at all, nor chuunin… So you guys are at least jounin or even ANBU." she theorises, looking over them and at their attire which admittedly does imply a certain association to ANBU.

Though it's good to practical for all ninja, those of standard forces often opt to wearing casual attire that has less of a… uniform feel.

"Regardless, we'll make sure you idiots don't get yourselves killed if anything goes wrong. Which it will." Neji sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Just remember that we only have two days to get our scrolls, and the wildlife here is a factor you need to think about."

"You understand?" Sakura tilts her head, looking over all their faces. "Perhaps not, but we don't have time for a full blown conversation. Good luck, we'll be watching from the shadows."

Then Team Yamaneko disappears from their sight.

* * *

She's not sure how she feels right now. It's a mix, where she's both proud and accomplished that all of their teams passed… but she's also just mentally exhausted because her genin teammates really like to go all out. Admittedly, the idea of mixing fire and oil in the hopes that the Kiri nin retaliate with water was smart. Rather than dousing the flames, it would only make them grow.

The flames grew a little too much, because Naruto's oil is the strong kind. He _is_ associated to Jiraiya, after all.

"You guys are insane!" Karin exclaims, pulling at her already shortened hair. It looks like a mess, so Sakura supposes that the redhead has yet to get it fixed. Or perhaps it has been already. "You could have killed us all with that move! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Naruto and Sasuke sit together, both covered in grime like the rest of the genin. They're all tired, both physically and mentally. Team Yamaneko is just really done with this mission, she's sure. It's so much easier when it's just them and their usual routines. She bets that Shisui would have a field day hearing about their woes, though.

"Shut up, god!" the blonde scratches the back of his head, wearing a frightful scowl. "At least it worked! What the hell were you doing, screaming about and pushing Datsuji into the fire?"

Their eyes slide over to Datsuji, who's in the corner muttering to himself about bitchy redheads and how he'll return the favour. His serious injuries have been dealt with by Sakura, but there are some that will just have to heal on their own. Lee's lying on the only bed there, unconscious from expending all his energy during the fight with one of the Ame nin. Tenten's hair has come loose, and she's using a staff to keep herself steady.

She doesn't think it's sunken in yet for some of them, that they killed those other genin. Sasuke and Naruto would probably gloat more about this kill, if it weren't for the others raining on their parade.

She, Neji and Sai are relatively unscathed. Not unexpected, but the skill level of the other genin teams were. Well… It's not unusual for villages to train genin teams to the point that they should be chuunin or even jounin already. It's a show of strength, but Konohagakure's genin teams weren't exactly ready for that.

"I realised something…" Tenten mutters, still staring at the ground of their current room. "I think I hate just about all of you, save for some. I also never want to work with you ever again, if I can help it."

Sakura, despite herself, laughs at this. "I understand, Tenten-san. I understand." she may be an exemplary ANBU operative, but this is possibly the most trying mission she's ever done. She had forgotten about the differences between her and a majority of other children her age. "But we all passed, so… yay."

Since only four teams passed, there's no need for a preliminary round.

Neji pinches the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm himself. "The team with the Kazekage's children passed as well… they'll likely be tough opponents. Especially _Sabaku no Gaara_." he remarks, more to himself.

"You three are going to do the final stage too?" Naruto queries, sliding his weary gaze over to her.

She tilts her head, glancing to her brothers before shrugging. "We have the option to forfeit, if we want to. We don't really belong in the standard forces, so the title of chuunin isn't important to us. I don't think we're even officially genin either." she answers, cracking her fingers.

"So you guys _are_ ANBU… I knew it." Tenten wobbles with her staff, before trudging over to the bed and shoving Lee so she can lie down as well.

Sasuke shifts, pulling on a lock of his best friend's hair. Said best friend sneers at him, until he runs out of energy to do so. "What happens if we don't make it to chuunin?" the Uchiha asks, meeting her eyes.

Sai gives an ominous hum. "You will. Once the announcements are made for your respective battles, you will be given a month to train before then. Your jounin teachers may set up a schedule for your training, but you will also be trained by us regardless. You may not be ready now, but it is only a matter of time. My siblings and I do not wish to do this again."

Since the Chuunin Exams are a bi-annual event, even if some fail they can still try again in the next one. It'll be within the year, but neither she nor her brothers wish for that to occur. It's probably going to, if she looks at the state of Sai's team.

Datsuji releases a wet cough. "Sounds like it's going to be rough." he comments, turning towards Karin who twitches in disgust from him even facing her. A slow, feral smile begins to form. "I hope I'm fighting you, Karin-chan."

"You say that like you'd win." Karin scoffs, moving herself into a sassy hand-on-hip position. "I'll kick you into the ground!" except that it's been shown multiple times that Karin can't land a hit on her blind teammate.

Sakura tilts her head when she feels a familiar chakra signature behind the door, then goes to open said door to lay her eyes upon a bubbly man-child-dog. She leans back, as Kakashi's aura is almost blinding.

"The Hokage's summoned you all…" he relays to her, reaching towards her. She indulges his need for affection with a mild smile. "You have five minutes to clean up…"

* * *

The idea of revealing their arsenal of skills to the general public in a series of tournament battles is unsettling, especially for Team Yamaneko whom are used to working in the shadows. So, it's not surprising when they all forfeit. Although, Gaara seemed to be confliction with that since his stare burned into her side until they all left.

"So we don't have to win our matches in order to be considered for promotion…" Naruto says to himself as they all make the trek back to the village. "That's convenient, since we'll be versing each other."

Sakura hums in absent-minded acknowledgement. She plans on going home, taking a shower then ordering in for dinner since she's not in the mood to cook. Dealing with genin for three to four days in a row without reprieve really does things to her mind, she thinks. Perhaps it's because she's gotten used to the elevated mindsets of those whom she actually spends time with. Sasuke is included, even if he's… well, himself.

"If it was all about winning, then only one genin would get promoted each time." Neji states as he adjusts an unconscious Lee on his back, in a tone that implies that should be obvious. She agrees that it should be obvious. That way of promotion would be inefficient as it's only one genin from any village at a time, then they might have only won through sheer raw power without all the other factors needed to be a chuunin.

"That is why we will have to ingrain it in your minds to think like chuunin, since my team is sure to lose in all their battles." Sai adds on, side-stepping the lethargic swings aimed at him.

Tenten releases an exhausted, drawn out sigh. "What happens if and when we become chuunin? Will you three still be in our teams?" is her intelligent query. So far, Sakura likes Tenten the best out of all the genin whom she doesn't already know and have a history with.

"No." Sakura answers. "Our mission will be over, then a select few of you will be chosen for apprenticeships. The rest will scatter, in any manner that the Hokage pleases. You may remain in your original genin team with a replacement member, or you will be slotted into temporary teams as the missions requires. In any case, we'll cease to be your teammates."

"Oh…" Naruto mutters, exchanging a glance with Sasuke. "Well, I guess that makes sense… You guys have always been ahead of us."

She feels a frown mar her expression as she attempts to analyse Naruto's mood. "We're not suited for the standard forces, Naruto. From the very beginning, we've been trained for high risk and high reward missions. It would be inefficient to keep us in these teams, since the missions you receive could be accomplished by any one of us solo."

Also, Naruto and Sasuke are sure to be taken as apprentices by the end of the month. Team Seven will cease to exist and there's no point for her or Kakashi to stay. She's not sure about the other four, but that's not really her problem at the moment.

"Not to mention that _we're_ already in a team." Neji huffs, folding his arms in his usual hissy manner. So adorable.

Karin makes some sort of screechy growling sound. "You guys think you're _so_ much better than us, don't you?" she scowls, adjusting her cracked glasses. The girl simply looks like she's squinting in consternation.

"We are. It is a fact that we are." Sai easily responds. "I must say, Karin-san, it is going to be quite the challenge to whip you and Datsuji-san into suitable chuunin candidates."

Tenten speeds up, to fall into pace with Sakura. With a blink, she tilts her head as hickory eyes slide over to her. "So, Sakura-san… I was wondering if you'd be cool with… uh, being my friend?" Tenten giggles, sheepish as she rubs the back of her head. "I don't really have many female friends."

Sakura blinks, not expecting that to be asked of her. Though, she's not opposed to it. Even though Ino and Hinata are in the little group, she's not very close with them. It's the kind of group where some are noticeably more closer than others, with a few of them being people whom she's never hung out with alone. Chouji, Ino and Hinata are among that categorisation for various reasons. For one, Hinata's got something against her again for associating with Neji, who's got something against Hinata. It's not hard to figure out _why_ they don't like each other, but…

She frowns, trying to curb from thinking about the interrelationships of the group. It's complicated. "I don't have many female friends either." she finally replies, with a slight smile. "So I'd like that, if you can deal with the absurdity of my life."

The brunette beams at her. "I'll do my best. Even though it's been tiring working with everyone, I do respect you in particular. You're like Tsunade-sama, a woman who's strong and capable. I aspire to be like her."

"Ah…" Sakura struggles with her expression, since Tenten becoming temperamental and violent like Tsunade wouldn't be that nice. "Well, thank you. I'm sure by the end of the month, you'll be stronger and more capable. Hopefully, you'll become a chuunin by then as well."

"That'd be pretty awesome." her newfound friend nods with a grin. "You're going to have trouble with all of us." she adds, her smile fading away as she looks at the others.

Sakura takes a deep, calming breath. "No, I think you guys are going to have trouble dealing with our methods. We're going to get serious and make sure you're up to par." because if Shisui has taught them anything, it's be thorough in the path to excellence.

She smiles at the thought of them all being traumatised by the end of the month.

* * *

Father comes home at least three hours after they do, bursting into the lounge room where they're all located with a giant grin stretching his face. He looks like he hasn't slept in days and may be a little delirious, but at least he looks happy… in a manic sort of way.

He locates her with his wild eyes, then dives for her to assault her with all of his affection. "You are my fucking treasure, my lucky strawberry shortcake charm! Oh, Sakura Ocha is _booming_ thanks to the unfortunate end of Gatou!"

She smiles, remembering that whilst she _did_ destroy the general base of Gatou Kanpanii… she also took all of the man's possessions so that Father could find a use for them.

"Of course," Father sighs, leaning back but still holding onto her, "the crotchety old asshole is happy too. He wanted to give you a gift in person, but I chewed his ass about how that's never going to happen because he'd taint you!" in what manner, that's up to interpretation.

Although the old man's last gift was Sai and that turned out to be a good thing, Sakura still doesn't feel right to know he wants to give her yet another gift. It's like he's bribing her or trying to make himself seem like that unseen but awesome uncle, where he just gives spontaneous gifts as he's journeying around the countries.

Father pulls out a scroll from his bag, which she recognises to be a summoning contract. "He says it's a summoning contract for owls and thinks it's an appropriate summon for your kind of work." he explains, though with a sour, almost sulky tone.

She accepts it, though with visible hesitance. "I wonder if he's going to try to guilt trip me into working for him in the future, by referring to Sai and this contract." she comments, deciding that she'll look into the contract at some point.

Neji coughs. "Wait, what?" she hears him choke out in confusion from behind her.

"I was gifted upon Sakura when she was… around five, I believe." Sai explains, possibly being the reason for the patting sound that she's hearing. "My life would have been very different if that had not happened."

Sakura hums. "Well, tell him I'm grateful and suspicious." she tells Father, who nods with a deep scowl.

"I accused him of trying to court you, but he was so horribly offended that I would even _dare_ to think of such a thing." Father scoffs, waving his hands around. "He surrounds himself in brainwashed children, the damn creepy ass weirdo! And you, my cuddly bun, are a gem amongst cobblestones. No doubt he wants you before…"

Father scratches his ribs in consideration. "Ah, I guess I can't tell you about that yet. How have you kiddos been? Have your uptight relatives tried contacting you of late, chocolate cake?" his gaze lands on Neji, who is 'chocolate cake', much to his annoyance and their amusement.

Neji sighs, flipping his hair over his shoulder as she comes to sit beside him. "I'm no longer one of them, as they've disowned me for essentially straying from their beliefs." is his brief explanation, grabbing his tea and sipping it like a graceful swan. "Not that it matters, I belong here anyway."

Father gasps, delighted. "Do I get to adopt you and officially have your last name as Haruno?! Does this mean that we'll be considered a clan because we have five members?! Right then, my sugar stars! I'm off to sign some papers and get this shit done! This is so exciting!" Father gives a hearty and deranged laugh, ignoring the sputtering of their Hyuuga sibling. "I don't even need a woman to bear me any more children at this point, haha!"

Then Father is off, unable to be stopped as he's like a hurricane. A moment of silence falls over the lounge room, until there's a clanking from the kitchen where Kakashi's making fish.

"I told you he would adopt you into the family." Sai says, with a triumphant tone and a smile to match.

Their soon-to-be Haruno brother sulks, because he hates losing bets.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,734

 **Total Word Count:** 56,332

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** This chapter might subtly reflect how exhausted I am, so pardon that. As well, I'd also like to say that I would love to write fight scenes. Unfortunately, my vivid imagination of battles aren't translated well into words. I could probably try, but it'd stress me out and I don't need any more of that right now. I apologise if you'd like to see fight scenes. It might happen in the future, maybe.

You can probably tell I'm better at character interactions than anything else, hence all the interactions with all the erratic pacing and plot working in the background.

(P.S. I might not reply to all of your reviews, because half the time I can't remember who I have replied to and who I haven't. I'll still try to, if I don't die. Regardless, I see them and they make my heart explode with gratefulness. I hope glitter sticks onto your enemies and pisses them off for eternity.)

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	18. Chuunin Exams: Part III

**A/N:** Day eighteen. I think this challenge is starting to really affect my mental health, which is fun.

* * *

On the night before the final stage of the Chuunin Exams, she's visited by an unexpected but unsurprising guest. Perhaps she should stop hanging out on her roof in the early morn whenever she can't sleep, but she'd be damned before psychopaths influence her to stop doing what relaxes her.

The grinding and shifting the sand isn't as intrusive of a sound as she expects, and oddly neither is his presence when he sits down beside her. Silence falls over them, for a good ten minutes before his unusually deep voice breaks it.

"Why did you forfeit?" he inquires as she stares down at the sand circling around her ankles. "Why can't I feel your chakra?"

She could refuse to reply, by asking him he found her… but she decides not to, tilting her head towards him. "I have no use for a promotion, nor do I have a use for strangers learning my skill set as they essentially watch a human blood sport." she smiles at him, ignoring the urge to poke his eyes as they stare into hers. "Did you want to fight me?"

Gaara blinks, albeit slowly. "I can't feel your chakra, but… your eyes." his fingers appear in her field of view, as if wanting to touch her eyes. She realises how smooth his hands are and how strange that is for a ninja. "Your eyes are strange. Always calm and steady… like undisturbed waves. But I know… I feel like those very same waves have the capability to cause devastation if disturbed."

Sakura hums, finding the analogy nice. "Do you know what your eyes are like, Gaara-san?" she asks, expecting him to say no. She doubts he can look himself in the mirror.

He retracts his hands to stare down at them, considering. "I've been told that they're… cold. Like my eyes are an empty glass and I'm attempting to fill it, without success. It seems that even if I fill the glass with the soulful eyes of others… I'm still empty." his head tilts, his unruly hair following his movement. "I'm a weapon, chichi-ue says. Weapons aren't meant to have feelings."

"Your village may revolt against the Yondaime Kazekage, I hear." she remarks, her gaze returning to the crescent moon. "He seems to be declining in his mental health, which in turn degrades his ability to run the village."

"Chichi-ue misses haha-ue… he's changed since her death, I'm told. I've never known him any other way, and as he is now… I wouldn't mourn his death. I don't believe that I would mourn for any deaths in my family. I've killed many families… I've seen the way their souls scream and shatter as their loved ones crumple to the floor, without life. It's fascinating to me and I'm told that's not usual."

She's dealt with so many strange people that it doesn't bother her, hearing of his questionable habits and thoughts. "Do you know my name yet, Gaara-san?"

Gaara slides his eyes over to her, before his face twitches in that odd way again. Perhaps that's him trying to smile. "Sakura." he whispers, his sand gathering above his hands and shaping into her namesake. It falls back into a formless mass as he reaches for something in one of his many pockets.

He pulls at a single cherry blossom made of glass, expertly shaped and crafted. "I find the art of sculpting glass… therapeutic. There is a sense of calm within me, whenever I sculpt." he explains, handing the cherry blossom over to her. "It's a pleasant sensation, that I often seek."

She accepts it, then examines it. "You have more depth to you than one would expect." she comments, as the reports of him are impersonal and clinical. They speak more of his skills as a shinobi than who he is as a person, which is understandable. He's considered a monster too, she remembers.

"I can't express myself that well… the way I was raised wasn't to build my individuality." Gaara replies, his stare eliciting the usual tingly sensation on the back of her hand. "I envy you for that reason. That's why I believe that your eyes alone would be enough… to make me whole. Complete."

Sakura chuckles. "I told you before, that you can't have my eyes." is her casual response, because it's not the first time someone has wanted disturbing things from her.

He hums, with a twitch in his brow as he stares at the roof tiles of her house. "I know. I want your eyes… but I don't. If I take them, then you will no longer be as you were. It's… complex and atypical, but I find this sensation… new." his face twitches again, with a certain gleam in his eyes. "I don't dislike it."

For some reason, she finds herself laughing. "You know, Gaara-san, you're not the first person I've met who doesn't know how to be human. Then it always makes me wonder… if I know how to be human myself."

It's the beginning to a line of thought that is far too deep for the time being. It's probably because it's nearly three in the morning.

* * *

As per the instructions of a last minute notice, Team Yamaneko are on duty to guard the stadium during the battles. They're decked out in their usual ANBU gear with their respective masks and wigs, but remain out of sight unlike other ANBU operatives who are visible to all attendees.

The participating genin stand in the middle of the arena, neatly lined up as the proctor Gekkou Hayate stands before them. Their charges have their backs straight, their arms by their sides and their gaze ahead with solemn determination. It's a drastic change from their uncoordinated, chaotic selves from the previous month and she feels proud. She knows her brother do as well, but mostly for themselves for not killing any of them.

It's been a rather trying month, trying to condition them into excellent ninja at the same time whilst also making sure they didn't learn of each other's new techniques. Since they're facing each other, and all. She hopes that they had all listened when she and her brothers gave them the last week off to rest.

They're all hard-working, even Karin whom Sakura had to beat down mentally before building her back up again. There's still hope for the girl.

"Thank you, everyone who has decided to attend the final stage of Konohagakure's Chuunin Exam!" the Hokage announces, from his position in the viewing area for Kage or other important figures. Each of the Sannin are in attendance as well. "As you can see, there are nine participants whom will battle each other for the chance to become chuunin! Please stay and watch them all to the end!"

The crowds cheers, as Hayate imparts some knowledge to the genin. Then, they make their way to the waiting area whilst Karin and Temari remain on the stage.

"Karin-san has a decent chance of winning this match." Sai deduces, without his usual derision in regards to the redhead. "Although she is more suited to tracking work than frontline combat, she is resourceful and may be able to use Temari's preference in long-ranged against her."

"Karin-san is intelligent and has visible potential once you rip away the… negative aspects of her personality that overshadows her good points. She'll definitely make an impression." Sakura replies, blinking when the battle commences and Karin throws a smoke bomb at her feet, her chakra signature disappearing. Temari cracks open her fan before swinging it with admirable proficiency. Once the smoke is forced away, Karin is nowhere to be seen.

She smiles, as Karin's chakra signature reappears from under the earth. Temari catches on, already in the process of pushing away from her position. But the kunai manages to impale the Suna nin's left foot, eliciting an angered and pained hiss.

Karin bursts out of the earth, wielding a kunai aimed at her opponent's chest. The attack is blocked by the giant, iron fan and the bespectacled girl rolls to the side when the very same fan is swung towards her.

They dance around one another for a few more seconds, with Temari attempting to manoeuvre around her opponent with a kunai stuck in her foot and unable to pull it out. Then the blonde snaps open her fan the entire way and swings it with fury and a battle cry.

Karin's caught up in the whirlwind and they watch as she's thrust up into the air. She's cut into by the bladed wind for ten seconds before the whirlwind fades and gravity begins to pull her body back down. The redhead executes the _Kawarimi no Jutsu_ , going into hiding once more as a flurry of small tags flutter to the ground.

Temari pulls at the kunai in her foot, before making a point to slam it down on the ground in a dramatic show of strength. She then begins to create multiple whirlwinds around the arena, in an attempt to lure Karin out of hiding. The tags that had fluttered to the ground are picked up by the winds, then explode in a manner similar to a dust explosion. It travels throughout the entire arena, blocking their vision and making the whirlwinds disperse.

She laughs, glad that their masks are built to prevents gases and the like from being inhaled. Sai hums from her side.

"It almost displeases me to see her do so well." he murmurs, with Neji scoffing in response.

* * *

Gaara wins the tournament and whilst most of the audience are residents of Konoha's population, no one is particularly upset. She hears the excited chatter amongst the crowd, talking about their favourite fights and moves as they file out of the stadium.

All of the participants have been transferred to the hospital, each of them getting treated for their varying injuries during their battles. She tilts her head, thinking back on each of the battles and realising that each of their charges have a good chance of being promoted.

"You really put your all in teaching them, my adorable little creatures." Shisui comments from behind them, resting his chin on her head and draping his arms around Sai and Neji's shoulders. "As much as it disgusts me, I'm so very proud of you. My excellent baby lynxes, maybe we should all go on a mission together like the old times after this?"

She hums with displeasure, because half the time going on missions with him meant that he would purposefully get them noticed and leave them with all the troubles. Firsthand experience, he had cackled as they were at a rather significant risk of dying.

"We're… okay." Neji mutters, before tilting his head and looking into the distance. "The Hokage is summoning us."

Shisui laughs, leaning back and slapping Neji on the back. She winces as her brother stumbles forward with a muffled groan. "Well, too bad! We're going to go on a super hard mission will lots of enemies, then we're going to bond as we brutally murder them all!" then he runs a finger down her neck, prompting her to lurch away from him. She turns to find his mask grinning down at her.

She blinks from behind her own mask, recognising the intentional twitches in his fingers. "You two should go ahead and meet the Hokage." she tells her brothers, who hesitate for a moment before obeying and disappearing from her side.

Her captain leans down, lifting his mask and allowing her to see his usual grin that isn't any less sharp. "So Itachi-chan is annoyed and wishes to come see you, before he snaps or something. He wants you to meet him in the forest behind your house… Mm, in two days. Maybe you should wear something nice for your date?" he winks at her, clearly amused.

Sakura frowns. "I'll wear what I want." she responds, before sighing. It's not like she can just ignore the 'request', since he'll just come find her like the creep he is and probably when she least expects it. "What's he annoyed about?" she tries, though she doesn't really expect an answer.

To her surprise, the expression on Shisui's face has abruptly morphed into something feral and horrifying. "He's annoyed from being around Shion-taichou's killer and not being able to crush them yet." he reveals, his chakra erratic and almost demonic before it's gone the next second.

She leans back, feeling a sense of dread bubble in her gut. Shisui continues to smile down at her, like what he said isn't alarming at all. "Well… Alright, then." because she doesn't know what else to say. She has questions, but she doesn't want to ask them when her captain is in such a vicious mood. It's different than his usual psychotic ways, she can feel it.

"You better meet up with your brothers, Sakura-chan." he murmurs, grabbing a lock of her wig. Like her brothers' wigs, its pigmentation is the shade of berry. He lets it fall, before he pushes his mask back over his face and disappears in a blur.

Sakura sighs once more, not enjoying the reminder that Uchiha are so troublesome.

* * *

She finds him deep within the forest, leaning against a tree with his arms folded and his annoyingly intense eyes on her as she approaches. Wearing a simple black cloak, he still looks as eye-catching as he remembers him to be. Now that he's grown more into a man, at the age of seventeen, his presence has really just enhanced to a vexing degree.

Sakura stops with a fair amount of distance between them, her brow furrowed and her insides all jittery. "So, Itachi-san… What do you want?" she queries in a curt manner, because she's not really in the mood to deal with him.

He tilts his head, that soft and supposedly disarming smile forming upon his lips. "Hello, Sakura-chan." he chuckles, the smooth baritone of his voice making her highly unsettled for reasons she's yet to figure out. "It is nice to see you too."

His eyes slide down, from her neck all the way to her toes. She feels naked under his gaze and it makes her want to stab his eyes with a kunai. He meet her eyes once more and he pushes off from the tree to approach her.

She steps back. He follows and she feels like this has happened before. "Must you always be so disturbing, Itachi-san?" she mutters, intercepting his hands from cupping her cheeks.

He glances at their touching hands, then intertwines their fingers. Like he's trapped her. "I cannot change who I am, Sakura-chan." he murmurs in response, his gaze concentrated as he stares at their point of contact. She notes his black fingernails and wonders if it's nail polish. "It is… unfortunate, but I emit a sense of unease regardless of whether I want to or not. It is difficult to remain inconspicuous in public areas."

Sakura feels her frown deepen, silently agreeing to the last of his words. "Do you want to talk to Shion?" she asks, because that feels like the most reasonable explanation for him wanting to meet her.

Itachi blinks, drawing attention to those damn long eyelashes of his. He smiles, making contact with her eyes again. It'd be easy to get sucked into his gaze. "Yes. I have been… irritable of late, and it is affecting my work ethic. Years and years in _his_ presence, unable to…" his eyes sharpen with a dangerous glint, his grip on her hand tightening. He exhales. " _He_ took her away from me, so _he_ will bring her back."

Her heart thumps, banging against her ribs as the tension begins to suffocate her. "Shion's sleeping…" she states, as Itachi shifts. His free hand snakes around her waist, and she sees the peculiar and indecipherable glimmer in his eyes.

He almost looked pained, and that's just more disturbing than anything else. "Wake her up." he hides his face in the crook of her neck, the cold steel of his hitai-ate pressing against her half-covered skin. "I need to be reminded that she is still here… I need to reaffirm the reason for my goals still exists."

Then Sakura has the revelation that monsters, in reality are both fearsome and pitiful. "I'm sorry, Shion." she whispers, since she knows that all Shion wants to do is sleep without being disturbed.

 _"It's not your fault, sugar plum."_ Shion's scratchy voice answers, having been drawn out of her slumber. _"This is only temporary anyway, yeah. I'll have to start living again at some point, you know?"_

Something tugs at her mind, and she follows it without complaint. She feels Itachi holding her up before she's embraced by the sea of black for a second time.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,805

 **Total Word Count:** 59,137

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** I struggled real hard with this chapter. It's like you're seeing the steady degradation of my existence translate into my writing. I have a headache, so I'll reply to reviews later. I know I should probably rest, but I'm just stubbornly determined to see this through to the end without missing a single day.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	19. Troubled Preteens

**A/N:** Day nineteen. Still alive, ha.

* * *

As Senju Tsunade is announced as the Godaime Hokage, Sakura finds herself wondering about how the state of Konohagakure will fare. She supposes that out of the Sannin, Tsunade would appear to be the most capable of leading a village. Jiraiya's too flighty and lackadaisical to really care about politics, whilst Orochimaru is seems to be perpetually fatigued as he runs through his own personal experiments. The road to immortality is a long one, she thinks.

Tsunade will at least be able to direct her temper onto something productive, rather than because of something small like when Sai had purposefully given a treasured type of sake to someone that wasn't the slug Sannin. Well… Sakura just hopes that the village doesn't crumble, because then they're going to have to move and there's always trouble with moving.

Naruto and Sasuke approach her and her brothers, the crowd splitting for his convenience as they disperse. It's always a little strange, like Naruto's just too good to be real. Maybe he really _does_ take some personality traits from his aunt, but has taken things to a new level by making himself likeable to everyone as a whole.

"Sakura-chan! So Hentai-sensei and I are apparently going to go on some long term trip, to expand my knowledge and whatever for my apprenticeship." he explains as he stops before her, giving her his usual amiable grin. "We're leaving tomorrow, so I wanted to say goodbye. Sasuke here is going to be undergoing some kind of clan leader training alongside an apprenticeship, so he's screwed."

Sasuke gives his best friend an unimpressed stare, before sliding his dark gaze over to her and practically reenergising from just looking upon her visage. "I'd like to visit you, but I know that I'll be busy." he tells her, twitching forward but doing no more as her brothers flank her with intimidating stares plastered on their faces. He frowns at them both, though she smiles.

Team Yamaneko's other former charges have also scored themselves apprenticeships upon their promotion. Surprisingly, Datsuji and Karin are apprenticed under Orochimaru. She expects that those two will eventually develop their relationship into something both volatile and intimate. Lee is understandably apprenticed to Might Gai, whom she's still yet to meet because Kakashi's _still_ not ready. Tenten's become the apprentice of Tsunade, since Sakura had suggested that her first real female friend would do well. The slug Sannin had seen it as a challenge and accepted.

"Hey, Naruto." she starts, tilting her head as he blinks at her. "What about Haku?" because last she heard, he's still not trusted enough on his own.

The blonde's eyes widen in realisation, before he smiles again. "He's coming with us, since I'm technically his guardian and it'd be too troublesome to just leave him at my place. I guess him becoming an official ninja of Konoha has been postponed until we get back, but I don't think he cares that much anyway."

Sakura smiles, in that particular fashion whenever she thinks of the androgynous teen. She's fond of him, in the way that humans are fond of grouchy but entertaining pets. "I don't think he cares as long as he's with you, since you've essentially replaced Zabuza-san."

Naruto's eyes flash for a moment, but she didn't need that to understand that he already knows as well. "Yeah, that's true." he replies, before looking behind her. "Ah, well I guess we have to go." he announces, then steps forward and envelops her in a hug.

She returns the gesture, before bringing her lips close to his ear. "When you get back, I want to tell you something." she whispers, because Shion's given the okay on telling Naruto about her. Sakura doesn't know how he will react, but she knows there's a chance that Naruto may stop seeing her as Sakura once he knows.

It's a risk she'll have to take, she supposes as they release one another and his eyes search hers before he nods. "Alright. Wait for me?" he smiles.

"Mm… no." she answers, and they depart from one another with a smile.

* * *

She receives a delicate but significantly-sized package a month or so after the Chuunin Exams, and pushes down the paranoia of the contents being someone's severed head or even a severed penis. Perhaps she reads too many horror novels.

To her pleasant surprise, she opens it to find two glass sculptures. One is a cherry blossom branch attached to a stand, pigmented with soft shades of brown and pink.

The other one is smaller, but it's far more delicate in detail, as it's her. She's sitting on a slant, her head tilted upwards and bringing attention to the intense details of her eyes. The way they're coloured almost makes it seem as if they're illuminate.

She was watching the moon, she remembers. She's both impressed and a little perturbed of the accurate and intricate details.

Sakura picks up the note that had been hiding underneath the glass sculptures, unfolding it to see what's written on it. She hopes it's not something like that one time Itachi sent her a bouquet, in a gesture that would be romantic if he wasn't who he is.

 _ **Sakura,**_

 _ **Your persistent appearance in my head irritates me, so I've attempted to create a few more glass sculptures with you in mind… in hopes to alleviate my said irritation. It hasn't worked and now I've created too many.**_

 _ **Temari thinks that you might appreciate it if I sent some to you, but I've decided only to give you the ones I like best. She seems to believe that I'm… 'crushing' on you. That appears to be a term for being especially partial to someone in an amorous manner.**_

 _ **It's not to my belief that that's the case with my thoughts of you. I don't know you well and I have no desire to court and marry you…**_

 _ **What I feel towards you is envy. You have no doubt of who you are, Sakura… I see that in your eyes. It's vexing.**_

 _ **I don't know who I am. Then… when I think of you, I become restless for that reason.**_

 _ **Gaara**_

"Whilst still rather odd, at least he does not harbour any romantic feelings towards you." Sai comments from over her right shoulder, as Neji looks over her left. "Although, is it appropriate to think of Sasuke-san's fixation towards you as romantic?"

"Well," Sakura hums, folding the paper, "Sasuke _does_ want to marry me and then create a legacy together. But trying to decipher the complexities of his thought process and emotions is a thing I'd rather not do for long."

Neji picks up the sculpture of her, examining it. "He's good, even if his personality is warped. I heard that artists generally come with a mental illness, especially if they're a ninja." he remarks with a conflicted sneer, probably not liking the fact that he likes the sculpture.

Sakura stands from the couch, holding onto cherry blossom branch and taking the other one of her from her brother. "I'm going to put these in my room." since they're nice, even if their reason for existing is because of envy from a boy who likes to steal his victims' eyes.

 _"You're still dating the gummy pineapple, jelly bean?"_ Shion yawns in question as Sakura traverses the stairs. When Shion receives her answer via their mental link, she exclaims in disgust _. "Ugh, Jesus what the fuck, yeah? That's six years, fuck me. Whilst that'd be impressive on its own, the fact that it all started when you little turds were six makes it just fucking strange. Where's the romantic drama of a love rival, yeah? Or the shallow heartbreak of unrequited crushes?"_

She's surprised herself, honestly, since she expected to lose interest at some point as humans tend to do. Yet, somehow, their interest in one another still remains strong. She knows he gets irritated with Sasuke, but no one actually considers Sasuke a viable match since he's just too bizarre for her. There's also Lee, whom appeared to be interested but she hasn't spoken to him since his promotion. She doubts she'd ever be interested in him either, for multiple reasons.

Neji going on a rampage may or may not be one of them, along with the fact that taijutsu specialist yells most of the time.

If she thinks about it, she's not really had many romantic love interests. Itachi is definitely not one of them, since she doubts he even really cares about her as a person. Rather, he cares about her because Shion is inside of her and his kind of caring is terribly unhealthy. Kakashi's not one either, since she's basically his owner rather than anything romantic. Her stomach clenches, because the thought of it just seems wrong.

Naruto's affection towards her has steadily become more of a siblingship, since his long past revelation that he doesn't actually like her the same way Shikamaru does. He doesn't seem as though he likes Hinata in that fashion either, despite his endless teasing since he knows that she adores him. It would appear he just does that for fun, which is a little cruel.

"I suppose no one else really interests me in that way." Sakura murmurs as she reorganises her shelf. She doesn't think that's a bad thing, since she's not under the belief that he's grown boring over the years. They understand one another in a way that is calming and soothing, but they also are able to communicate if they don't understand something.

Shion groans. _"That's fucking gross, yeah. Stable relationships, ha! They seem like such a dream, since I'm just fucked up as a being and I lose interest as quickly as I find it. Some stick though, although not in a manner in which I care about them romantically. I don't think I have the capacity for that, you know, since I am as I am."_ then Shion makes another sound of disgust. _"Oh, wait, fuck me you're a preteen now. Oh, god, all the hormones and shit."_

Sakura lets out an abrupt laugh, because that does seem like an unpleasant situation to be in. She's sure that it would be quite uncomfortable feeling the sensations of another as they explore themselves. No privacy at all. She nearly snorts.

 _"Well, fuck that ish. I'm out! My mind's coming up with all this nauseating shit, so I'm going to sleep, yeah."_ and Shion goes back into her little bubble. Sakura wonders what it's like being in Shion's position. Is it dark there?

* * *

She doesn't play shogi with Shikamaru or Shikaku, and after years of trying they've just given up. So they tend to play each other as she watches from the sidelines, although that's not what's happening at the moment.

At the moment, she's being led further into the forest belonging to the Nara clan. Her eyes flit around, finding the multitudes of fireflies fluttering about to be quite atmospheric. Almost ethereal, like from a novel about fantasy and witches living in forests.

They stop by a small lake, where its clear waters are almost illuminate with the rays of the moon shining over them. She realises that this setting is actually somewhat romantic, and she looks to a fidgety Nara.

He still has a habit of rubbing the side of his neck when troubled. "I've been meaning to take you here, but we've been busy lately." he informs her, tilting his neck before grabbing her hand again and leading her to a nearby tree.

They sit by the base of its trunk, then settle into a comfortable silence as they listen to the calming sounds of the wildlife.

She stares at the water, where the steady reflection of the moon lies. "Have you ever wondered why we've lasted this long?" she queries after a few minutes of silence, leaning on him and resting her head on his shoulder. He shifts to accommodate her and it brings a light smile to her face.

"More than I'd like to admit." he responds with a sigh. "Every time you're away, I think about how you might come back and tell me you've lost interest. I think about how you'd frown in response to my smile, bringing this guilty aura as you tell me that you've become interested in someone else now. Then I think about how much I really love it when in reality, you always smile back."

Shion immediately gags, somehow, before muttering about how little she can deal with the cute shit and going to sleep.

Sakura smiles, trying to calm that tight and painful sensation in her chest. She knows it means she's happy, but it's really quite uncomfortable. "Does it worry you that much?" she wonders, because even if it hurts her, she knows that she'd be able to move on. It's something she's already accepted even if it hasn't happened yet, because the future is always uncertain.

Shikamaru shifts, and she lifts her head to face him. He's frowning, first at the grass then at her. "You're always so accepting of the possibility of us… Well, not being together anymore. It almost… No, it _does_ irritate me." he pulls out his hair tie to run his hands through his hair in frustration. "I think about who's going to be come along and take you away… How I'd probably just let you go even if it would crush me."

Then he lets out a self-depreciating chuckle. "I feel so stupid, like I shouldn't even be worrying about this crap. I feel like I shouldn't be thinking like this because of how young I am, how young _we_ are. Our relationship has become more than some childish romance, because of how advanced our mentalities are. It just feels strange because we're actually in a serious relationship when we shouldn't be."

Sakura frowns, turning to face her entire body towards him. "I think I understand what you mean. We've entirely skipped the short-lived, childish 'boyfriend and girlfriend without much meaning' phase. Because of how we are, it's become something far more important far sooner than expected." she tilts her head, in thought.

He looks to her, before giving her a smile that's both appreciative and pained. "Yeah… Because of how young we are, I don't know how much value 'I love you' has. It could be the same as saying that to someone that did you a favour, without true meaning."

She blinks, before sighing and looking back out to the water. "I don't do that, saying 'I love you' to someone I don't love. It would cheapen the words, I feel. You're of the same mind, Shikamaru." she comments, cracking her back as her skin tingles from his staring. She turns back to him with a slight smile. "Even if it feels like it's too soon because of our age, I'd still believe you if you told me you loved me. It'd probably give me a heart attack, but I'd believe you."

He cracks a smile, before looking away in contemplation. "I guess I've been having some unnecessarily troublesome thoughts lately. Tou-san and kaa-san think it's puberty." he frowns, almost in a sulking manner. "Might be. But I'm glad I got it out."

She hums in acknowledgement, grabbing a lock of his now loose hair. "I think our relationship has always been more spiritual anyway. No matter our age or our appearance, it's our souls that really connect and I think that's timeless."

Shikamaru hides his face in his arms, but she sees the red on his ears. "Ugh… That should have been obvious to me." he whispers, annoyed with himself.

Sakura laughs, content to ignore the natural inclination to believe something's about to go wrong. It's probably because the good parts of the story are always followed by the bad.

* * *

The owl perched before her is as about tall as Kakashi is and even larger in width, its alabaster eyes staring right into her soul. She blinks a few times, but she doesn't like away as it seems to be assessing her. Perhaps she should have put less chakra in, but it's too late now.

"You house another, young one." the giant, apparently male owl voices in an understandable language. She blinks again. "There is an old and mutated soul within you, touched by the curse of eternal reincarnation."

Sakura frowns with a tilt of her head. "I assume that only your kind can see that, since I've been around other summons and they haven't noticed." she replies, rather than asking how since the regal and wise-sounding owl is likely to explain without her prompt.

It nods. "My kind are tied with the afterlife, as we are guardians to the place known as Joudo. It grants us the ability to sense souls, both living and deceased. The one that resides within you is both alive and not, having never entered through any dimension's gate to the afterlife." it explains, fluffing its feathers for a moment.

She hums. "So that means that Shion's from another world?" she questions, because she doesn't think Shion's ever specified.

The owl hoots in confirmation. "The one you call Shion is from many other worlds, as their soul travels dimensions with each death they suffer. However, it would seem that the cycle has been interrupted with the inclusion of you. They should have left this world, but now they reside within you in a… stalemate of sorts. They have become a part of you now, and I do not know whether this means you will suffer the same fate as them."

Sakura feels something jump in her chest. She hadn't thought of that possibility, but now that she thinks about it… It seems more plausible since Shion's chakra has merged with her own. Their minds may be separated but their chakra isn't. She decides to think about it later.

"What's your name?" she inquires, pushing away the worrisome thoughts to think about later.

"Mamoru…" he ̶ it seems like a male, if she's simply going by the voice ̶ glances down at the open summon contract, where her name is written in blood. "Sakura-hime. Though the soul within you is alarming, my kind do not judge the sins that stain each soul. My brethren and I shall assist you in any way that we are able."

She smiles, taking a deep breath before replying. "Can you tell me about your abilities?" since it'd be quite difficult to utilise them otherwise.

Mamoru hoots. "Certainly."

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,091

 **Total Word Count:** 62,228

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** I feel like this chapter was just me trying to explain shit to myself, in story form. But whatever, look at the Shikamaru struggling with the fact that he's too mature. Ha, suffer. Anyway, next chapter will be another POV change. Though I'll probably come up with something, feel free to suggest whose mind you'd like to delve into.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	20. Through Shikamaru's Eyes

**A/N:** Day twenty. Ten more days to go until the story's over, I think.

* * *

Despite his intellect, he thinks it should be expected when there are still some things that baffle him. Like why his cousin puts mustard on boiled eggs and _actually_ thinks it tastes good, or when his mother cooks with a villainous smile even though she's not going to kill anyone with her cooking.

The most baffling though, is probably Sakura. He knows many things about her, like how she eats any kind of cereal with an absurd amount of sugar and that she has a particular smile meant only for him. He knows that she's leagues ahead of him in terms of being a ninja, that she has a hard time caring about strangers and that the act of killing does nothing to her.

There are many things he knows, yet… She still baffles him.

"So you and Sakura-chan are still together?" his mother queries at the table, during breakfast. It's not an uncommon question, as she asks it every few months just to make sure. He sees the twinkle in her eyes, the way she smiles because she thinks it's adorable. Others ask as well, and their reactions are starting to bother him simply because of how frequent he's asked that particular question.

Shikamaru hums in confirmation, his eyes still squinty from sleep. "Yeah. She's on a long term mission right now, so I won't see her until December at least." he replies with a drawl, running a hand through his unbrushed hair. "Hopefully I'll be a chuunin by the time she gets back."

He may be a little salty towards Ino, whom he specifically advised not to use her clan techniques during the first stage of the Chuunin Exams. Even if their opponents seemed troublesome, some selfish part of him wanted to go through with it because Sakura was there.

She was stressed then, because she had been in charge of them all. Out of their group, the only ones whom she really talks to are Naruto, Sasuke and him if he excludes her brothers. The others have always just been there, people whom she doesn't care to really get to know and bond with.

Then when the 'group' had expanded with the genin teams of her brothers, he could see how much she didn't want to do any of it.

"Must be difficult, knowing that she's always on high risk missions." his father remarks, propping an elbow on the table and getting reprimanded for his lack of table manners. "Has she been taking breaks?"

Shikamaru shrugs his shoulders, tilting his head and rubbing the side of his neck. He used to worry all the time for her safety, but now he's just been anxious having to deal with going so long without seeing her. The longest used to be a month or two, at most. Now, he's not going to see her for most of the year.

He worries more about when she's finally going to lose interest, when they're going to finally separate and all of that other vexing stuff. They've talked about this, but it still bothers him. More so than the fact that their friends are actually betting on them getting married. Now that's just way, _way_ too far into the future and something they're not going to think about for a while.

"Maybe you should get some favour from her father." his mother gasps, again getting one of her ideas stuck in her head. He groans, because he can never go against her. "Yes! I'll make up some lunch and you go deliver it to their house!"

"Her father's rarely home though…" he tries, unsuccessfully as she jumps up and rushes into the kitchen. He turns to his father, who simply shakes his head and smiles. Shikamaru often thinks that his parents got married as young as they did because his mother is decisive and stubborn.

He lets out a heavy sigh, but supposes that he might as well try even if Sakura's father isn't home. He can at least say he tried without lying, then.

* * *

There's someone sitting on the roof when he emerges from the hidden path to the isolated house, and for a moment he thinks it's Sakura before he realises that it's not. Their hair is too long and too dark, but from a distance it really does look like her.

As he comes closer, they abruptly disappear from the roof before reappearing at the entrance of the house. He can't help but flinch as he meets wide and intimidating eyes, the irises an indigo shade and the pupils unusually miniscule. Then his own eyes are drawn to the smile that appears on the familiar but unfamiliar face.

A shiver makes his spine tingle, as he feels something entirely wrong about the girl who bears a strange resemblance to Sakura. Even the seal on her forehead is the same, if a little darker.

"Gummy pineapple!" the girl rasps, with a scratchy and immediately unsettling voice. She flips her hair over of shoulder in an almost exuberant fashion, and he thinks it might be the shade of berry. He's not sure, since it's been a while since his mother tried to explain colour shades to him. "What brings you here, hm?"

Shikamaru frowns, holding out the bentou box. "Uh, kaa-san wanted me to deliver this to Sakura's father… Who are you?" because he's never seen her before and he's sure he would remember. Being in her presence is… incredibly uncomfortable.

The girl tilts her head, shifting her crazy and insomniac gaze somewhere into the distance. Her expressions are strangely vivid, lively in an unnatural way. "Should I, yeah? Well, whatever." she returns her attention to him, unfortunately. "I, gummy pineapple, am the spirit temporarily tied to this house via a mad seal I made. I was bored and decided to experiment to see if I could still interact with the living world in a… form of my own, you know? I also wanted to fuck with silver bun, even if that might be detrimental to his mental health."

He blinks, not having expected the peculiar intonations to her words. Her hands are everywhere, making her so very animated. It's wrong, he thinks. Something's just… _off_.

"You're… a spirit?" he feels his expression morphing into something of disbelief, and a part of him thinks he should have just stayed home today. "So… Why do you look like Sakura?" because it's really starting to concern him. He realises he still didn't get a name.

She raises a brow, before clicking her tongue and placing a hand on her hips. She doesn't look that much older than him, he notes. "How about we talk more inside, yeah? The honey bunny papa bear is out, but he should be back at some point. Probably, my sense of time is fucked." then she turns and her hand disappears through the wood of the door. "Ugh, fuck me!" she curses, before retracting her hand and successfully grabbing onto the doorknob.

Shikamaru just wanted to deliver food and go home. Maybe train a little, before going on to feed the deer. He doesn't want to deal with this.

"Right, it's locked." she sighs, holding a finger towards him before walking through the door. He blinks again, hearing something click before the door opens and she appears again. "'Kay, get the fuck inside already."

He listens, if only because he feels like she could snap her fingers and he would die for no reason other than because she could. "You still haven't… told me your name." he tells her as she shuts the door and grabs the bentou box so that he can remove his shoes.

The… spirit blinks at him, and he realises how glassy and empty they really are. She grins, though her teeth are nice and straight rather than toothy as he feels it should be. "You're doing well, going along with the flow of things, yeah. For some reason I want you to call me Shinra, fuck if I know why. Probably something I watched ages ago but can't remember, yeah. Or maybe it was my name, a long time ago."

'Shinra' leads him down the hall, then into the kitchen where she opens the fridge and puts the bentou box inside. He tries his best not to shift as he looks around, realising that the silence is almost suffocating. She then leads him to the lounge room, practically falling onto one of the couches and implying he should sit as well.

She props up an elbow, then smiles at him with a raised brow. He frowns at her, finding this entire situation bizarre because she's apparently a spirit, somehow connected to the Haruno family and looks like his girlfriend. Sakura's never talked about it, although he supposes that it _would_ be quite an unusual thing to talk about without a lot of questions being asked.

"I'm honestly tempted to see inside your head, maybe fuck with it a little to see how sugar bean will react to you breaking up with her, yeah." Shinra remarks, her smile turning devious. She knows that she's making him uncomfortable, he can see it in her eyes. She waves a dismissive hand with a sigh. "But no, I'll be nice. After all, she set this up for me whilst she's off going on missions even though I told her there could be some negative effects."

"You're talking about Sakura, right?" he's rubbing his neck again, and he sees how she takes notice of it immediately. If he stops, it'll feel like she's won some kind game. He doesn't like people like that, because everything's a game to them. "Would you tell me your connection to her?"

Shinra sits up, crossing her legs on the couch and stretching her back. "If I do, you know that you'd have to keep it to yourself otherwise sugar plum might be put at risk. Then it'd be all your fault, yeah." she cackles, before waving her own comment off before he can really register them. "No, that's a stretch. I'd tell you a lot of things, my man, but that's up to jelly bean since she's your girl, yeah." she abruptly gags, to his surprise. "Ignore that."

Shikamaru scratches his head, his frown almost becoming painful with how bemused he is. He's feeling a mix of things, which is sort of making him sick. "Have you always been… here? In this house?" he knows he's asking a lot of questions, but she doesn't seem to mind.

She leans back and yawns. "Nah, not like this anyway. This is experimental, yeah. This form's like ten minutes away from dissipating, since that's when I think it'll start having negative effects on sugar bean. You caught me at a good time, actually. I should've probably just wait until it's time, yeah, since it's possible that she'll get an aneurysm with us being so far apart even though we're still connected. The seal was meant to help her cope with the distance, but I can feel that she's struggling. Perhaps we should have waited until after her mission's done yeah, but ah well. At least I know the distance."

He takes a calming breath, before looking up at her. He glances at the higanbana, then the seal in particular as she twirls a lock of her hair around her finger. She's even wearing similar clothes, although that's probably because it's ANBU wear and it's basically a uniform.

"Are you… Are you the reason she always keeps her chakra concealed?" he queries, then flinches when she gives him a horrific grin.

Shinra leans forward, and he doesn't want to look into her eyes. He feels like it's worse than looking at an Uchiha in the eyes with their Sharingan activated. The mere prospect that someone can surpass even them is petrifying. What does she see when she's looking at him?

"So smart, gummy pineapple." she praises with a chuckle. He doesn't feel all that proud. "Well, I've given you some shit to think on even if that was completely unintended, ha." she stands, walking towards him then vaulting over the couch he's occupying. "I'm going to disappear soon, so you'd better get going, yeah. Unless you want to snoop, but I doubt _you'd_ want to."

Shikamaru nods, though it feels rigid. "I've stumbled upon something troublesome, haven't I?" he sighs, following her to the entrance of the house. She sways as she walks in a straight line, adding onto one of the many quirks of her personality.

If her personality's even real, because there's something fundamentally wrong with her. Not just because she's a… spirit or whatever. Although the concept isn't that hard to swallow considering she can walk through doors and her form's starting to become transparent and illuminate.

"Oh, fuck yeah. But you're intelligent." she turns towards him, with a tilt to her head. "I'm going to give you the chance to walk out of here, with your mind untouched since sugar plum would be pissed off with that. Don't make me regret that, yeah?"

It's a warning, there's no question about it. So he nods, glad as he realises that his brief experience with her could have gone much worse. "You're not going to harm her, are you?" he questions her, unable to quell the concern even though it's being implied that they're well acquainted and get along to a certain extent.

Shinra blinks, and for a moment the air feels cold. "I already have, gummy pineapple. She is the way she is because I've had quite the influence on her, yeah." she smiles, opening the door and giving him the strangest sensation that she's holding open a door to something horrifying. "Not entirely, of course. There are many things that are her own, you know? Like how she cares about you. I find it… well, baffling. So much caring and trust, built without the tampering of the mind."

Her smile falls and his heart constricts. "I think envy that, yeah. So much so that I want to _rip it apart_ , but I won't. She's not moralistic or a saint, but she's turned out to be so much better than I ever thought, even when I've had such a large influence on her life. I want to crush her as much as I want to treasure her for that reason, you know?"

Then she chuckles, pushing him out the door just as she's about to fade entirely. "I wonder what you'd do if you knew everything." she murmurs, before shutting the door and locking it.

Shikamaru leaves with a feeling of being sort of traumatised, wondering what the hell just happened and how he's going to deal with that until Sakura comes back.

* * *

He's been debating over whether or not to ask, because he knows that his father would immediately have suspicions as to why he's asking in the first place. It's been weeks, maybe even a month or so since that time. It's been impossible to not think on it.

"Hey, tou-san." he greets his father, feeling his stomach clench as he attempts to play it cool. It's difficult and troublesome. "Remember when you first said that Sakura looked like someone you knew. Who were you talking about?"

His father blinks down at him, and he can already see the gears turning. Maybe he'd get the question of why he's asking… but he hopes not. Lying's never worked in his family.

"Well…" his father frowns with a strange gleam in his eyes, before waving a hand to lead him to sit by the engawa. "I didn't really know her that well, mostly because I was in the standard forces and she was in ANBU. I did see her around sometimes and she'd engage in conversation with me. She and her sister were strange, but maybe that's just how they were in Uzushiogakure." his father shakes his head, probably reliving some unpleasant memories. "They'd both wear higanbana crowns, but she was the only one with that seal on her forehead. She was definitely the worse of the two sisters."

Shikamaru isn't sure how he feels about that information. "So Sakura looks like her because of the higanbana and seal?" because the differences in their personalities are quite drastic, unless Sakura's been hiding an insane side of her for years. He truly hopes not.

His father hums, looking up into the distance. "Yeah, that's mostly it. Although, from what I know Sakura has a similar skillset. Their personalities are completely different though. Sakura can be a little cold and hard to approach to some, but she's not bad. The girl I knew had an unnatural presence. People respected her abilities, but not many liked her. They feared her and I can't say that I didn't myself. She didn't feel like a comrade, but more like an enemy pretending to be one of us." he frowns, before chuckling. "I'm glad that Sakura's different though. I was worried at first, you know."

He thinks that he can agree with his father's description, if he remembers what it was like talking to her. He wants to tell his father, but he doubts that it wouldn't be reported to the Hokage and then Shinra would likely retaliate. She doesn't seem like the type to take betrayal lightly.

"Thanks for telling me." Shikamaru gives a slight smile, knowing that his father has questions but won't pressure him to answer them. "There's just been a lot on my mind lately. I've been thinking about some old things, like how Naruto used to marvel over how similar Sakura looks like his aunt. It just brought up some questions."

Naruto's aunt's name was… Shion, he thinks. It's probably her, though… he wants to know why.

His father thankfully takes the vague explanation, even though it's obvious there's more. Then a smirk is directed towards him. "Oh, my son. It's probably all the fault of puberty, because you're going though and experiencing fluctuating moods."

"Gah!" he exclaims, beginning to stand. "Enough about puberty, it's troublesome."

He hears his father chuckle as he walks away.

* * *

He thinks that the flak jacket is a little heavy, but it's not bad. He smirks, but it soon falls when he exits the Hokage's office and meets up with his teammates. His ears are immediately assaulted with Ino's explosive indignation. Chouji waves, prompting him to respond in kind as he attempts to prepare himself.

"Congratulations, Shikamaru." his best friend gives a soft smile, holding out his packet of chips in offering. Shikamaru takes one, before frowning over at Ino.

"Can you stop?" he sighs, unsure of whether to place a hand on her shoulder or not. "It's too late to complain now, you'll just have to try again next year." because she's really pissed about not getting promoted even though she thinks she's ready.

The fierce glare sent his way tells him that she's really not. "You shut your face, Shikamaru! How does a lazy bum like you get promoted and I don't? I mean, come one I've trained so much for this! I _nailed_ it one this time!" she screeches, before being enveloped in a soothing hug from his best friend.

"It's okay, Ino." Chouji murmurs, petting her head as she begins to reluctantly simmer down. "We'll make sure to be promoted next time. We just have to work hard until then."

Shikamaru feels grateful towards his best friend, since it's hard to calm Ino down. Then he feels a tug in his chest, because he's reminded that it's been months since he last saw Sakura. He turns away, irritated with himself.

Their teacher appears in the distance, with his fellow jounin and girlfriend Kurenai. "Hey, Shikamaru. Congratulations on getting promoted, you did well." Asuma praises with a proud smile once they're close enough. He then turns his attention over to Chouji and Ino. "You guys did well, too. You two will pass on the next exam, I'm sure."

Kurenai turns to greet her own students that have appeared around the corner, since Shino and Hinata became chuunin as well. No luck for Kiba yet. "I'm proud of you guys." she tells them, ruffling their hair once they're close enough.

The Inuzuka clicks his tongue, his arms folding behind his head before he looks over to Chouji and Ino. His eyes light up with an idea. "Hey, you two! We should team up and smash the next Chuunin Exams, then we can show these guys!" he exclaims, joining in on the hug and making it a little awkward.

Ino huffs, pushing the other boy away. "Fine, but you better not hold me back!" she replies, with her usual sass.

Shikamaru sighs, before making his way over to Shino and Hinata. He doesn't mind Shino, even though he has a strange tone of speech. Sai's always had a formal way of speaking, then there's Sakura's father who's just really atypical in general. He can deal with odd speech quirks.

"Maybe we'll be working together sometime." he comments with an almost pained expression, trying to make conversation. Hinata gives a polite smile, that only feels a little genuine. Ah, he remembers. She has something against him for being associated to Sakura… who in turn is associated to Neji. How troublesome, he thinks.

Shino though, nods. "That would be likely. Why? Because we have been training together for a while now, as our teachers are dating and wish to be closer."

He glances over to the jounin couple conversing, but then looks away. He wants to groan, because being jealous is rather annoying. "Yeah, makes us compatible since we know a lot about each other's strengths and weaknesses." he mutters in response.

"We all should go celebrate together." Asuma suggests to them all then.

It'd be embarrassing to say no, then he'd have to explain that he doesn't want to be reminded that his own respective partner isn't around. That's just childish of him, so he grumbles and accepts along with the others.

At least she'll visit him the moment she gets a chance when she gets back. He looks forward to that, even if he's also nervous since he plans on asking her about Shinra... Or Shion.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,708

 **Total Word Count:** 65,985

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** I wanted to do Neji, but he's too much of a tsundere so fuck that. You get more Shikamaru for that reason. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm sorry.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	21. Worries of the Future

**A/N:** Day twenty-one. I was really frustrated when I was writing this, so you know. Beware. I struggled real bad.

* * *

Well, it hurts. She expected it, of course, since the whole concept of trying to put distance between two souls that are intrinsically tied sounds like a painful affair. It was also a very strange experience, being able to feel Shion from so far away even they couldn't communicate via their mental link. Rather draining too, but she planned for this.

Scouting's never really been Team Yamaneko's thing, but their speciality in both sabotage and assault makes them better suited to deal with it all. Although, they'd never been on such a long mission before and it might be a little jarring for them all.

Especially when they have to be around Shisui for so long. Of course, their captain gets a motel room to himself much to their relief. Though they've slept in his presence before, it's never comfortable and they end up being incredibly tired. It's like trying to sleep when there's a predator in front of you, watching you the entire time. Hard to rest with that on one's mind.

At least they're only a month or two away from completing the mission.

"Are you feeling better?" Sai queries as he settles at the edge of her bed, reaching over to feel the temperature of her forehead. She hums in affirmation, sending him a soft smile.

She's got a terrible headache, but it's much better than before when she was on the verge of fainting just from trying to sit up. "Better than before, yes." she replies with a slight rasp, glancing over to Neji as he enters their current motel room with a deeper frown than usual.

Shion did say that the side effects could go on for a while, but Sakura expected a few hours rather than an entire week. It's rendered her temporarily unable to use her chakra, so Sai and Neji regularly check her brain just in case there's a development of an aneurysm. It's easy ̶ for them, at least ̶ to treat an aneurysm that hasn't ruptured with simple medical ninjutsu, but if it ruptures then she'd need to have surgery and that's not exactly recommended. Not right now, anyway.

Although, the idea of putting herself under a scalpel honestly sounds discomforting, so she hopes that she doesn't have to have someone cut open her head to do surgery on her brain or anything else vital.

"Why did you do it in the first place?" Neji demands as he approaches her, giving her that particular look that implies she's scum for making him worry. It makes her smile, almost every time she sees it. "You don't usually do something so stupid."

She blinks, albeit slowly. "Sometimes we have to take risks if we want to proceed." she murmurs, although she does feel a bit useless at the moment. They're lucky that their targets seem to be lingering around, so she's been able to rest as much as she has.

Shisui's not very pleased with that, but he's also somewhat ecstatic because his former captain is now making a reappearance within the world. She wonders how dangerous it would be for someone to encounter the two of them together.

"You should go to sleep." Sai states, bringing his glowing fingers to her temple. She feels the tension ebb away, if only slightly. "We can continue without you until you recover."

Sakura hums with a smile, closing her eyes. "How nice of my little brothers." she chuckles. It's still amusing to her to know that she's the youngest of them all.

* * *

As her dreams are usually rather vivid and created with genjutsu, it's not all that alarming when she notes that she's no longer in her own mindscape. What's more alarming, is the fact that she's in _Shion's_ mindscape and what she sees is both horrifying but beautiful in its destruction.

Surrounding her, are galaxies and the forms of people who've shattered like they've been made from porcelain. The pieces remain afloat but never drift too far, as she would expect from a place without gravity. She finds it a little jarring that she can walk as if there's a ground below her feet, even though there isn't.

She examines the shattered bodies, each of them distinctive and unique but also still and lifeless like shells. Someone even appear to not be human at all, simply humanoid in shape. Some are female, some male and some whom are androgynous or don't even seem to have a sex.

Sakura jolts when some kind of soft melody begins to play in the distance, but she continues to walk even if it seems endless. It's an eerie, broken and melancholic sound, she thinks. Then it changes, switching to different tones and rhythms every so often.

It's lonely here, she muses. Trapped in space, surrounded by the shattered forms of people with inconsistent music in an endless cycle. There doesn't seem to be an end, no matter how far she tries to se into the distance.

Something in the scenery catches her eye, where a galaxy of red stars glow in a rhythmic fashion. The broken form by it is familiar, even if she's never seen them before. Then something sets her on edge, as she sees the form ̶ Shion, she's sure it's Shion ̶ twitch.

The pieces that have splintered off are slowly gravitating towards the main body, and something in her jumps in fright when the sound of grinding glass grates on her mind. It's Shion's neck, twisting to turn and face her like a porcelain doll willing its body to move when it shouldn't be able to.

The eye sockets are empty, but her eyelids are wide open and there's a jagged smile on Shion's cracked face. "Hey there, jelly bean." the familiar voice greets her, although Shion's lips haven't moved. "You shouldn't be here."

She feels like that's a warning, but she's not sure how she even got in to begin with. "I don't know how I got here." she replies, looking around then returning her attention back to a gradually reforming Shion. It's quite the bizarre visual, with long hair gently billowing around Shion's head. Like a skewed halo, perhaps.

"Must be part of the side effects from experimenting, yeah. Oh, well. Welcome to my mind, sugar bean. Don't touch anything, or you may experience some fragments of forgotten memories among other shit." Shion chuckles, her fingers twitching. The sounds of cracking glass continues. "If you want to go back, just touch this red galaxy here, yeah?"

Sakura frowns, stepping closer to the galaxy mentioned. "This is our world right now?" she queries, wondering why the stars are all red in colour.

"Yes. These other galaxies and broken dolls are worlds and people I previously inhabited, yeah. I can't touch them though, because I can't really move anywhere. They're always out of my reach, you know?" Shion lets out a deranged cackle, although there's nothing really funny about what she says. Something in the distance screeches, then _screams_.

It sounds like people screaming altogether in chaotic harmony, in agony and terror. She immediately dislikes it.

"Don't mind that, sugar plum. That's just what's left of my humanity, you know, the part that still cares and hurts. It's quite an annoyance, but some part of me wants to reconnect. Another says fuck that, because who wants to feel the horrible devastation from all the terrible shit I've done during my existence?"

The screaming seems to be growing louder ̶ closer ̶ and Sakura turns back to Shion who's jagged smile has turned into a jagged grin. "You should get going, now. Otherwise, I'll inevitably try to devour you and make your mind part of mine." which really sounds unpleasant. "You'll cease to be Sakura, then."

"What happens when I die, Shion?" she questions the cursed soul residing within her, even though her mind is in danger of being devoured. "Do I go with you, on your next life?"

Shion's grin has disappeared, and it's far more unsettling because there's no expression at all. "Maybe. I'm not quite sure if our chakra constitutes as part of our souls, since our minds are still separated. Either we will split apart, I join you in the afterlife or you join me in an eternity of new lives. The latter most likely means that I will eventually absorb your consciousness… or you might absorb mine, even. Now _go_. Your presence here is starting to piss me off, yeah."

Sakura listens, touching the red galaxy and feeling herself being pulled inside of it.

* * *

When she wakes up, she immediately swings a punch at the face invading her space. Her attack is dodged, although barely but she refrains from trying again when she realises that it's Itachi. Some part of her wants to try again though, just because it's him even though she doubts she could get a solid hit in.

He smiles at her, in that perplexing manner of his. "Shisui thought I should come greet you… since the group you are scouting happens to be the organisation that I am currently aligned with." he tilts his head, watching her as she throws the blanket away from her legs. "Strange though… I had thought that Konoha would not bother with a mere mercenary group."

She frowns at him as he leans towards her, as if he's ready to push her back down onto the bed. Her stomach knots, because she'd really rather that not happen. "Your group's method of recruiting S-rank missing nin is rather… flashy. We're just meant to see if you're a threat that we should take heed of, before anything major happens."

Where's Neji and Sai, she wonders? But then she realises that if Shisui orchestrated a meeting, then he'd be making sure they're occupied. How long has she been asleep though?

Itachi, thankfully, sits on the bed beside her rather than pushing her down. "Are you loyal to your village, Sakura-chan?" he murmurs in question, running his fingers up her spine and the nape of her neck. She leans away from his touch in immense discomfort, her face contorting to reflect her feelings as she turns to him.

"I'm loyal to those I care about. If it means defecting, then I will. But at the moment, I don't think that's necessary." she replies, before frowning and wondering if Shikamaru would accept that of her. His clan is loyal to the village and he'd be expected to be as well, going against her if he had to.

She doesn't think she could convince him to leave with her, if that ever happens. Or maybe she could, but it's up to him what he wants to do with his life.

Sakura groans in surprise and perturbation as she's suddenly lifted into his arms. Her heart slams against her chest and she immediately pushes against his chest, even though it's futile. This is not a pleasant position to be in, she thinks, especially with a man like Itachi.

"I'm going tired of you doing what you want with me." she sighs, feeling so very done with life and the absurdity it has to offer.

Itachi simply hums, pushing her back against his chest and petting her like she's said nothing. The bastard. "What would you do… if someone close to you died, Sakura-chan?"

She slumps against him, defeated. "I don't know. I've never actually lost someone before." is her resigned response, a part of her noticing that he smells too nice for a psychotic missing nin. It's offending, almost.

"Is Hatake Kakashi someone whom you deeply care for?" Itachi questions her next, but there's a dark and vicious undertone to his soft query. Sakura pushes against his chest once more, and this time he lets her at least see his face. It's uncomfortably close.

Something's wrong, she realises as she sees the thinly veiled irritation crackling in his eyes. "Why are you asking, Itachi-san?" she inquires instead, feeling her stomach clench as her suspicions rises.

The smile that forms only strengthens the ominous feeling in her chest. With one hand still pressed against the curve of her back, he uses his other to tuck her hair behind her ear. She twitches in annoyance. "Would you hate me if I murdered your brothers?"

Sakura immediately sneers at him, her fingers curling against his chest. His eyes only gleam with something akin to fascination. "Are you going to murder those I care about?" she almost hisses.

He blinks, before shaking his head with his bothersome smile still present. "Only one… perhaps two at the most, but they will not your brothers." he answers, but it doesn't reassure her that match. It doesn't really reassure her at all because she's not sure if she can fight against him and those whom he's collaborating with. "Well… I am not the one who is going to murder them, but I will have a part in it. It is almost as bad as killing myself, I have learned."

The only relief she has when he finally leaves her with that warning, is that it's not her brothers. It's not enough, but it's all she has at the moment.

* * *

She's content to wait for him to gather the pieces that he wants to talk about in his mind. His brow is furrowed from his inner turmoil, but she understands. Shion's… well, rather memorable and perhaps not in the greatest way.

Sai and Neji have been kind enough to give them space, deciding to go and see where Kakashi's gone off to since she's been expressing some subtle concern. It's Itachi's fault, but luckily it was near the end of the mission so she didn't have to worry about it for the entirety of the mission.

"It must've been hard…" Shikamaru mutters, finally. She blinks at him, tilting her head in silent question. He glances at her. "You really do resemble her. I just thought that it'd be hard for people who knew her to see you as… you. Even though, it's pretty obvious that you're less… intense and inhuman."

She smiles, because she's gotten used to it over the years. It's not bad now, since there are people who know her for who she is rather than who she looks like. Like her family, like Shikamaru and… maybe Naruto and Sasuke among others.

"It's not too bad. She's had a large influence on my tastes on many things, but I know that I'm not her and she's not me." they could be, though, she remembers. "Most of the time, she just lets me do what I want whilst she either commentates or sleeps."

Shikamaru nods, before making a discomforted expression. "Was she… Was she there when, we ah, confessed?" he queries, and she can't curb the grin that immediately forms on her face at the question.

"Yes." she answers, laughing when his face blows up in red and he attempts to hide his face in his arms. "She thought it was disgustingly adorable."

"That's great." he grumbles, before glancing at her again. "Is she here right now?"

Sakura shades her head, adjusting her position on the couch. "She's asleep, but she can wake up at any time." her amusement soon fades as concern begins to niggle at her chest again. "Do you mind being careful in the future? I… well, I've come to learn that the people I care about are in danger because of my connection to her."

He straightens, turning to face her fully with a bemused but serious expression. "Her enemies have found you?" he asks, trying to solve the puzzle already.

She shakes her head again. "Not her enemies… but not her allies. Not entirely." she scrunches her face, trying to make sense without revealing too much. Her association to Itachi isn't really known even amongst her family. "It's complicated, but they want her back. I don't really know how they plan to achieve it."

Shikamaru looks down, in contemplation. "I did hear that she had some shady associates when she was alive, especially since she was tied to the Uchiha clan." he blinks, as if in realisation. "When Sasuke was that his brother would have _her_ … did he mean Shion?"

Sakura stares at him for a moment, both pleased and conflicted to know that he's so intelligent. "Yeah…"

He tilts his head. "But how? She's dead, unless they think that her being inside of you means she's alive. I don't think that's how it works." Shikamaru scratches his head in frustration. "Although you never know what people are thinking these days."

She sighs. "I heard that there were techniques able to bring back the dead in exchange for another life." but the ones she's thinking of requires the deceased body. Kakashi had said that he doesn't know what happened to Shion's body, since he was forced to leave her behind on that particular mission.

It's all so very complicated. Sakura thinks it's a good idea wanting to sleep forever, if there are no genjutsu-laced nightmares involved.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,838

 **Total Word Count:** 68,823

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** Every day so far, I've been wondering if I should just give up trying to write and upload a chapter each day. At least this is an actual challenge, even if I'm dying inside. I have no idea how I'm going to end this, oh, god. I shall now play Pokemon Sun and resume my task from trying to catch a female eevee.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	22. Shippuuden Begins

**A/N:** Day twenty-two. Once again, subtly and hastily re-edited and re-uploaded because I lost track of time.

* * *

 **Time Skip - Three Years**

* * *

She frowns as she walks into the kitchen, tired and sore from Team Yamaneko's spontaneously annual training session of hell. Her brothers follow until they're at the dining table, feeling the same as her. Shisui thought it would be fun, but only for him it would seem. Though he's reluctant to consider them his equals, he's begrudgingly admitted so but is still adamant in treating them like his own little monsters.

"Stop fondling your breasts, Sakura." Neji snaps at her, his voice cracking when saying her name. It's been a pleasant experience for her since their voices started breaking, but at the moments she's not really in the mood to be amused by it. She squints at him, and he glares at her in return.

She hums, tilting her head and refusing to listen. "I'm massaging them, otouto. Because they hurt, mostly from you punching one of them." admittedly, it wasn't his intention but she had repaid such an action by punching him through a tree. It brings a slight smile to her face.

Sai's smile widens and Neji directs his glare over to his brother instead. "It was amusing to witness." he comments, casually dodging a kunai thrown his way by tilting his head.

"I didn't mean it!" their brother hisses, his ears reddening both in shame and annoyance. "It was an accident and you both know it!" which is unnecessary because they already know that Neji would never punch her in the tit like that. Shisui would, no doubt. He's done it to Tsunade and they've been shown the site of the battle that had followed.

It's really quite a devastation to look at, so they're lucky that Shisui decided to pick a fight outside of Konoha. She still wants to know what they have against each other, though.

Sakura begin to prepare breakfast, content to let her siblings argue amongst each other about foul moves and the like. She thinks that she'll have to go visit Sasuke soon, since he's been sending her creepy letters that express how much he's dying inside and wishes to see her. He also sends flowers, particularly yellow tsubaki ones that mean longing in flower language. She doesn't know how he knows that.

She's also been getting more packages from Gaara over the past two… maybe three years as well. It's probably because she's been responding to most of them, so he seems to have taken it upon himself to send a bunch of glass sculptures on occasion.

Although once, she found an eyeball amongst the sculptures once. It smelled terrible, since it had been rotting there for a while. Coincidentally, the sculpture had been some kind of eyeball monster he saw from a book once.

She wonders if he has any friends, since he mentions people in his letters but never reveals any actions to implicate friendship. He has stated that he views her as his friend, since Temari had suggested they were such a thing. Sakura isn't sure herself, but she doesn't mind all that much if so.

Naruto sends letters sometimes as well, when he has the time. She doesn't respond to them, only because it wouldn't get to him anyway with how much he and Jiraiya move around. He seems to be learning how to spy among other things, which doesn't sound all that bad. He'd be really good at information gathering.

He should be coming back soon actually, so she hopes that she's not on a mission by the time he gets back.

"Is Tenten-san coming over today?" Sai questions her, and from the corner of her eye she can see Neji twitch at the name. "Or is she busy killing herself from the stress of being Tsunade-sama's apprentice?"

She and Tenten have kept in contact, which is nice since she had expected them to drift even though they agreed to be friends. Though Tenten won't be able to achieve some of the most advanced medical ninjutsu because of her chakra control, she's still become a formidable battle-orientated medic nin in Sakura's opinion. It's been stressing Tenten out though, since Tsunade's also been stressed from fixing Konoha.

Father might be in trouble if he and his business partner aren't able to maintain their unseen underground business, but she's not too worried since it would seem that Orochimaru's come into play. The snake Sannin will be able to make sure Tsunade doesn't upheave the roots, one way or another.

"I doubt she'll kill herself, though she's been thinking about it in a non-alarming manner. I'll be meeting her at Yakiniku Kyuu around lunch time." she replies, cracking some eggs over the frying pan. She glances at Neji with a knowing smile, who's already scowling at her. "You're free to join, if you'd like."

"Ah, that is right." Sai chuckles. "It would appear that there is some tension between the two of you. It is quite the interesting development, right Sakura-neesama?"

Sakura laughs as she hears their brother growling. "Yes, well. Tenten's not as tolerable of our otouto's blunt and scathing words as we are. She also doesn't appreciate it when either of you tell her what she's doing wrong in such a rude manner." she replies with a fond sort of amusement.

Tenten and her brothers have a… well, an almost love/hate relationship, more so with Neji than Sai. It's amusing, most of the time. She just thinks it's nice to have a female to talk to, since there seems to be a different tone that is still pleasant. Especially a female whom has a generally amicable personality and respectable skill in her abilities.

Neji huffs whilst Sai remains unperturbed. One of Kakashi's ninken runs down the hallway, its footfalls not too loud nor too quiet. Another two follow, with one yelling in their language to quit being annoying. They ignore it, since it's such a normal occurrence.

She puts their breakfast on plates, before going to prepare her own cereal for breakfast. They stand to retrieve their food, like nice brothers.

* * *

She finds herself a little bemused, since the smile that she's received is almost too blinding and emotive that it's started to disturb her. That's probably because such an expression is so bizarre on a face that she's familiar with, especially one that shouldn't be able to express such emotion. It's like the laughing incident all over again.

"Hey… Sasuke." she greets him, leaning back when she notices how close he is and how tall he's gotten since she last saw him. His hair is still that spiky, fluffy mess though. "Stop smiling at me like that."

Sasuke listens, although not entirely as his amicable smile still remains. The warmth in his eyes is the most unsettling part, she thinks, because it's far stronger than she remembers it to be. "You've become more radiant since I last saw you." he tells her, and the unusual deepness of his voice makes her uncomfortable. He really is like his brother. Just less… psychotic and a little more fluffy and personality stunted.

She blinks at him. "Yeah, I could say the same about you." she replies, although with far less adoration in her voice. He's become prettier, in a more masculine manner at least. He's stopped wearing those dark bandages, instead wearing dark arm bands that seem to double as fingerless gloves. The sleeves of his shirt are tucked into them and she wonders how comfortable that is.

His eyes brighten at her words. "Have you ended your dalliance with Shikamaru yet?" he queries, stepping closer and invading her space again.

Sakura steps back with a perplexed frown. "No. He and I are still together." much to everyone's surprise. Although, people seem to be more surprised that they haven't gone any further than the occasional peck on the lips. She doesn't seem to have much in the way of a libido, and Shikamaru has expressed that he's not too worried about it since he's just glad she's still with him. So it's still much of a spiritual romance than anything else.

She doesn't think he'll ever stop worrying about her looking at someone else the way she looks at him. Some part of her finds that endearing, whilst another is also worried about hurting him because of that possibility.

The Uchiha scowls, his apparent high mood plummeting down into the dark depths. He clicks his tongue as he looks to the side. "That bastard…" he mutters, making her wonder who the hell's been teaching him how to be human.

They're good, because she really sees some form of personality in him at the moment. It still weirds her the hell out, but it's an immense amount of progress. It feels a little off, though, probably just because he's an Uchiha.

"Anyway, stop sending me flowers and let's go meet Naruto." she states, turning around and already making her way out of the Uchiha compound. Her brothers are waiting outside, since they don't particularly enjoy being inside the compound. It's understandable, considering the residents. She's not completely used to it, but she's got a better tolerance.

She hears the door to Sasuke's house close, before he jogs to catch up to her. "Did you like them?" he asks once he's walking beside her, once again without the eerie monotone that she's become accustomed to.

"I did, more so than the letters." is her honest reply, since his letters don't seem to have changed along with his new demeanour. Perhaps it's more of a performance, like how Shion does it. That would be more reassuring, actually. "I still don't understand why I'm so important to you."

"Itachi-nii told me that you would be the only one worthy of me. I agree with him." he answers, his monotone abruptly back in full force as his expression matches his voice. She squints at him, rather confused with how he works as a being. "He never explained how, just that I had to work it out for myself. At first it was a goal to not disappoint him, but that's long since changed. I want you to be my wife, to build a legacy with me because _I_ want to and not just because Itachi-nii said."

Sakura stops, turning to face him fully as his blank slate of a personality has returned. He has no expression, but his eyes gleam with certain sense of sincerity that's less intense in warmth but not in general.

"My teachers have all told me that someone such as you wouldn't be interested in me as I am. So I've tried to change for you… I've tried to become more human for you." his brow furrows, his eyes sliding from her eyes to her nose instead. "I don't want to admit that I might never be able to achieve that. I don't want to accept the possibility that perhaps it'll be you and Shikamaru."

She doesn't need this heartfelt confession, she thinks with a small amount of distress funnelling into her system. "I'm sorry." she apologises, meeting his eyes once more when they return back to hers. "I'm sorry that I couldn't accept you as you are, that I can't see a future between us in the way you want. It might happen, of course. Feelings change, after all… but I doubt it at the moment."

His frown becomes a little more upsetting, which really makes her uncomfortable. She steps forward, initiating a hug which is immediately reciprocated. She tries not to let that weird her out.

"You don't have to pretend to have a lively personality, it creeps me out far more than your usual creepy self." she remarks with a short-lived chuckle, feeling him squeeze her just the slightest. "You should do it to Naruto when we see him though, freak him out a little."

They release each other, and she's not all that discomforted to see the mild smile on his face.

"I'm glad you think so." he replies. "It's annoying and exhausting to put so much effort into forcing my emulated emotions to the surface… Does this make you uncomfortable?" he murmurs in question when he leans forward and tucks the hair framing her face behind her ear.

She's sure her expression gives him the answer that yes, it does. "If you turn into your brother, I'm going to wreck you." she promises, because she has confidence that she can beat Sasuke down. Itachi's just someone she doesn't want to even try fighting. He'd probably enjoy it in some kind of kinky fashion and she's just rather not test it.

Sasuke blinks, before his smile widens in realisation. "We've made progress." he whispers, his eyes alight with wonder as he resumes walking. He continues to whisper to himself, and she stares after him for a moment.

 _"I think he means the tone in your relationship has become something a little less straining, yeah."_ Shion inputs, which is actually rather helpful _. "Still a fucking weirdo though, Jesus lord. He's the kind of fucknut that you become reluctantly fond of, like an ugly puppy that constantly bangs into walls."_

Sakura thinks that she can agree with that, although she's still unable to really figure him out and how his head works.

* * *

When she spots Naruto, Jiraiya and Haku ̶ whom she mostly forgot about ̶ she takes special notice of the way that Naruto's aura of cool and charismatic has become worryingly immense. His eyes are lowered as he runs a gloved hand through his unruly bangs, and she attempts to curb the reaction to laugh in mild hysteria.

He glances at a passing woman, then flashes her a charming smile. When the woman becomes fluttered, Sakura inevitably erupts in laughter and draws his immediate attention.

"Sakura-chan!" he exclaims, and she knows that he's already speeding towards her. She manages to take a calming breath, trying ignore the fact that Naruto really is too much of an existence. He belongs in a book, converting all the villains and irritable teammates into his allies all the while.

His clothes haven't really changed, just become larger to fit his growing body. She wonders who made them during his journey, but pushes the thought away to accept the hug he gives her.

"Damn, Sakura-chan." he whistles by her ear, swaying a little before releasing her and stepping back to fully examine her. She's basically done what he has, by upsizing her clothing and adding a few things here and there. "You've gone from cute to hot."

She gives him a sardonic smile, as her brothers bristle and Sasuke twitches from the corner of her eyes. "You've ascended, I see." she replies, though she doesn't expect him to really understand. "How many people have you saved and how many of them have noticeable crushes on you?"

Naruto's gives her a devious grin, touching a lock of his hair. It's rather photo worthy. Would she be able to get money for taking pictures and selling them? "I lost count after a while. They kept thinking that Haku and I had something going on." he replies, glancing over at Haku who's finished conversing with the toad Sannin and has begun approaching them. Said toad Sannin flashes her a grin before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Even though he should be near twenty and become more masculine, Haku still looks incredibly effeminate. He also looks rather nice as he scowls at her, having seen her particular smile that's mostly meant for him.

"I thought that you did." Sasuke comments, with a smug smirk that's still convincing even if she knows it's not real. His best friend snaps his gaze over to Sasuke, with an expression that clearly says he's creeped out. It's probably because of the body language, since Sasuke's usually so rigid.

"The fuck happened to him?" Naruto questions her, prompting her to laugh in response. "Holy shit, what have they done to you Sasuke?"

Sasuke then immediately drops the act, in a rather disconcerting fashion. "My teachers had advised me on how to emulate a personality, then Sakura asked me to use it on you since you would find it unnerving." he replies, giving a slow blink before a small smile forms. "It's nice to see you again."

Naruto grins, and she realises that they really do have such a strange bromance as Shion had described. She looks over to Haku, who doesn't seem to be very pleased with their interaction.

"Made any progress, Haku-san?" she queries, smiling when he narrows his eyes at her. Then he attempts to wipe his expression from his face. He hasn't learned at all, she muses.

She thinks that's especially true when he opts to ignore her rather than responding. He'll crack, she knows it.

* * *

Sometimes, when Sakura sleeps she finds herself in a nightmare. It's not hers, since it belongs to Shion sometimes their minds are connected during sleep. Although Shion believes that it's more of a dream, rather than a nightmare because of how often they occur. It's been happening ever since that experiment.

It's nearly always in an open field like now. There are always fireflies, dyed a crimson as lanky humanoid corpses of grey trudge about. They are aimless, without sight but with an open and gaping mouth that moans their agony and sorrow.

It's always night, the stars closer and brighter than what would usually be possible. The galaxies are up there as well, like a constant reminder.

When she walks around, the remains of animals crunch and snap under her feet. Their corpses look as though they've all died from starvation, and the ants feast upon what remains. Sometimes, there are baby animals.

They're so tiny, still alive as they squirm about and mewl in pain. The ants tear them apart, without remorse.

When she finds a river, the water is unsettlingly black. It beckons her, wanting her to step into its depths to be dragged down and drown. Every so often, a rotting head bops up to the surface and its empty eye sockets show an unbearable loathing at nothing in particular. Then a dark, skeletal hand reaches up and brings the severed heads back down.

Rarer so, is when she finds Shion amongst all the torment of the nightmare. Shion is always encased in a garnet crystal, curled into a foetal position as she sleeps. Shion's still cracked and broken, the shattered pieces of her form frozen with her.

Sakura doesn't touch the crystal, as her instincts tell her that something would go terribly wrong if she does.

Something new has happened though, as there's a figure cloaked in white that has an ethereal glow to them. She's unsure of whether or not to approach them when they stand by Shion's crystal, but her decision is made when the figure notices her.

It's masculine, she thinks despite the fact that their eyes are concealed by the cloak. It's probably from the jawline, and she's met men with ridiculously long and luscious hair before so that's not alarming. She doesn't think they're human though, but she wonders why they're there.

 **"Who are you, little one?"** they ask, with something indecipherably strange about their voice. She frowns at them.

She tilts her head, deciding whether to answer or not. "Who are you?" she responds instead, because really they're invading both hers and Shion's space and it's rude to demand her name first.

Their lips tilt down into a frown, before they look back over to Shion. **"I cannot say, not to you. I have come to retrieve Malum Grande, but it would appear that…"** they sound melancholic, regretful. **"I have taken too long to find you… Would you hate me if I brought you back…?"**

Sakura feels confused sink into every part of her mind. "What's a Malum Grande?" she asks, feeling strange because it's so foreign on her tongue. How does he know their language, she wonders?

 **"I cannot tell you, little one. I am sorry."** they touch the crystal, and it seems to resonate in response. **"Look after them in my absence… I must fix what has been broken."**

Then Sakura wakes up and wonders what the actual hell that's all about.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,365

 **Total Word Count:** 72,188

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** Some trivia here, is that the last bit is actually from an amalgamation of my dreams lately. I wanted to skip to Gaara and whatever, but I got distracted playing Pokemon Sun and had to super rush through the chapter. The bit about the dead animals and ants has been happening in my dreams. First it was dogs, then cats and then birds. Hopefully, Malum Grande actually means what I intended for it to mean. Otherwise, goddamn it.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	23. Rescuing Gaara and Naruto's Blown Mind

**A/N:** Day twenty-three. Holy shit, guys. I accidentally reuploaded my other story and I am so sorry.

* * *

It must be strange to see a parliament of owls soaring through the sky, but she doesn't have the time to waste her chakra on placing a genjutsu over them all. She knows it wouldn't impact her all that much, but she still likes to conserve her chakra because there's no telling when she's going to need it the most.

They should be arriving at Sunagakure in a few minutes, since her summons are quite the swift flyers.

The Fourth Kazekage had been thrown off his throne back when she was thirteen or so, but they've yet to really decide on whom they want to officially take the position. It honestly sounds unorganised, but she knows that the woman known as Chiyo has been temporarily put in charge. They probably want someone younger, despite how skilled Chiyo is. Someone less likely to die of old age.

"There." she states, her eyes following as a gigantic hand made of sand swings at the bird made from clay. She raises a hand as the one whom she recalls to be Deidara dodges and retaliates with explosive clay animals. Eagles made from Sai's Chouju Giga soar past her and towards their designated enemy to intercept the missing nin.

Gaara looks over to her, his eyes widening in mild surprise as she draws closer and reaches out a hand. He catches her hand in time and he swings onto the back of Mamoru with her. His sand follows like a trail.

They circle around as her brothers engage Deidara in a battle of flight, with the others standing by whilst Karin searches for the other one of the pair. Sakura hears Deidara cursing and flinging explosives everywhere, with Naruto and Sasuke making sure that none of them fall to the village below. They'll have to change the setting so the attention isn't split.

She didn't want Naruto here, not when it would seem that the Akatsuki's goal is to gather the jinchuuriki. But it would seem that Naruto's somehow got Tsunade under his thumb as well, the bastard.

"Murasaki!" the bespectacled redhead calls her, prompting Mamoru to move closer. "He's by Sunagakure's gate, but there's something off about his chakra!"

She frowns, glancing over to her brothers. She'll leave them to defeat Deidara, as they're the most suited for fluid aerial combat. She'd like to keep Naruto and Sasuke together since their cooperative combat is spectacular. She has to keep in mind that a somewhat fatigued Gaara is behind her as well.

Mamoru flies over to Naruto and Sasuke whom are currently hovering above the battle, her brothers slowly making headway into leading the missing nin away from the village. The blonde meets her eyes as she approaches. "You and Sasuke will stay to support Ao-Iro and Ki-Iro. Meet up with us when you're done." she relays to him, and he nods before glancing over to Sasuke. The Uchiha give a slight nod in response.

They set off, and she returns to Datsuji and Karin. "You two, follow me." she commands, then glances behind her the back of her neck tingles. Gaara's staring, as well as bleeding from his forehead.

"You alright?" she queries, reaching back to press her glowing fingers to his temple. It's just a cut that's looks worse than it is, she quickly notes.

Gaara stares at her, before eventually nodding. "Yes." he appears to be scrutinising her, which makes her realise that he's never seen her in ANBU gear before. Her mask conceals her face and modulates her voice, with her wig a completely different shade from bubblegum.

He looks to the higanbana atop her head, then blinks in realisation. She's surprised to see an actual smile form on his lips, rather than the weird twitching that she remembers.

"It's good to see you again, friend." he murmurs, even as the world shakes a little with the larger explosion behind them.

She nods, then turns back ahead as she leads them to Sasori. "Yeah, it's nice to see you too."

* * *

After healing the wounds of her comrades, she steps back to assess them all. They're all exhausted, but she thinks that it's been a pretty good night so far. Despite her doubts about Tsunade's leading capability, she has to admit that toad Sannin's been doing a good job on improving the speed of communication between allied villages in cases of emergency.

If they hadn't been deployed as soon as they did, it's likely that Gaara would have been taken by the take they arrived. She knows that they've already taken at least three of the bijuu so far.

"That Deirdara was a fucking pain!" Naruto exclaims in annoyance as he flops back onto his bed, groaning both in irritation and pain. "The hell was with all the damn explosives and the clay? And those freaky mouths on his hands."

Sakura grins, taking a seat. She and her brothers have to keep their masks on, as they're still on duty. "I wonder if he had another purpose for them." she comments, then laughs when Naruto shoots her a knowing glance. Sasuke's gone off to get them all food, so he's not around to make some interesting and probably perturbing comments.

"Do you think he cleaned them? Like brushed them to get rid of all the clay that got stuck in there?" he replies in question, sitting back up. He then frowns in thought. "Do you think he had them on his feet? Because he had that giant one on his chest. You know, the one that he was going to use to blow everything up."

Luckily, Sai had gotten the killing blow before that happened at the cost of a few burns from small explosives. It's both alarming and exciting to know that just one of the Akatsuki could take on her brothers and the other duo for as long as he did. She supposes it's probably because it was aerial combat and neither Sasuke nor Naruto have much experience in that. That, and the fact that the Akatsuki are really as strong as Itachi had implied.

Her brothers are resting at the moment, since they've acquired quite a few wounds here and there. Neji's a little worse off, since he doesn't really have much in the way of ranged techniques. Taijutsu's always been his speciality.

"How did you guys defeat that puppet dude?" Naruto asks her, and she glances to the side even though he can't see her expression. He's said before that it weirds him out a little, but she supposes that's the purpose of the eerie lynx designs. It would probably be more disturbing of they were cute and endearing, with blood splatters staining its surface. She can imagine Shion having a mask like that.

She tilts her head, glancing over to an unconscious Karin and Datsuji. Datsuji had been poisoned by Sasori's own unique poison, which brought a lot of stress to Karin and that just turned into a little bit of chaos. She put him in a storage scroll that's been fully modified to hold living tissue, since she didn't have the time to heal him and he'd probably be dead by the time they're done.

He should be fine now, but she'll have to monitor his status. Unless one of the Suna medic nins do it, but they're going to return to Konoha pretty soon.

It brings a smile to her face, when she remembers her theory that Karin and Datsuji would develop something over the years.

"Popped out the core from his main body." she replies, recalling the event and chuckling when she remembers how hysterical she felt at that moment. It was probably the sound it made, and the adrenaline. Maybe the insane sort of shock that had appeared on his face as well. "I plan on getting a weaker, less versatile puppet for him to inhabit. I want to study him and see his unique perception of the world. If I figure it out, I might be able to get inside that core of his since that appears to be his entire existence at the moment. It'd be useful for interrogating."

The blonde nods in understanding, leaning forward again. "Hey, Sakura." he murmurs, looking up and meeting her eyes… or at least the eyes of her mask. "You said you had something to tell me, before I left."

She blinks, realising now that she's forgotten about it for the most part. "I'll tell you when we go back." she replies. Since putting up seals here would be suspicious.

 _"Maybe we can go into his mind, yeah?"_ Shion suggests with a scratchy yawn. _"It's not all that different from jumping into others' minds, it's just that you'll be meeting his own resident."_

Sakura thinks she might as well try it, if he allows her. "Or, if you want… I can tell you in your mind."

Naruto's eyes widen as he takes a few moments to process this. Then, his eyes narrow in assertion and he gives her a decisive nod. She stands, walking over to him and preparing to dive into his mind. It's not often that she delves into the mind of a jinchuuriki after all.

The thought of going into Gaara's mind isn't all that pleasant to think about, she believes.

* * *

There's water under her feet and a giant fox behind bars, with Naruto standing in front of it. His eyes go from her, then to the figure that has also appeared with her. She turns, then blinks when she finds the cracked form of Shion crouching down and yawning.

The fox shifts, pressing against the bars and its eyes narrowing at Shion's unique form. **"Shion?"** it booms in snarling question, appearing to be both surprised, suspicious and perhaps a smidgen of something positive. She's not sure though.

Naruto appears to be imitating a statue, staring at Shion both in wonder and a large amount of confusion. His fingers twitch, and she realises that she doesn't actually have to say that much now that it's already out in the open. Mostly, anyway.

Shion groans, then scowls as she attempts to stand. Her movements are stiff and rigid, unsurprisingly as she looks and sounds like she's made of porcelain and glass. "Fuck me, lord Jesus! I don't need this old man shit, yeah!" Shion exclaims, abruptly forcing a quick movement to crack her back.

Shards splinter off, but remain afloat rather than falling to the water.

"Sh ̶ … Shion-nee?" the blonde stutters, taking a tentative step forward. He looks like he's about to cry, but he also likes like he's afraid. Of Shion and her general unsettling existence, or because he's not sure if it's really her or not. Sakura's not entirely sure.

Said blonde's aunt tilts her head as she turns towards her nephew. Shion blinks, even though the eye sockets are still empty. Then she grins. "Hey, sun lolly! Hi to you too, you giant orange blob. Been a while, you know, since I died. Then Kushina died, and you got transferred over to Naruto, you know?" her movements are steadily becoming more fluid, even as the sound of grinding glass doesn't cease and shards continue to splinter off.

 **"How are you here?"** asks the giant orange blob, pushing against the bars again although to no avail.

Shion juts a thumb to Sakura in answer. "Some shit happened, not sure what. I somehow got myself tied to this sugar plum when she was born, yeah." she grins up at the fox, whose paw pushes between the bars. "I bet you were bored without me, yeah?"

Naruto comes back to his senses, whirling around at his own mental resident then back again to Shion. "So it's actually you?" he tries again, meeting Sakura's eyes for a moment before returning his gaze back to Shion. "I mean, Kurama said that you were a deranged genius and you'd probably come back to life… but I didn't actually think it'd… Holy shit, this all makes sense if you've been in Sakura's head this whole time!"

He holds his head, like his mind's about to explode. It's probably a little much, considering that his former teammate has been housing his aunt and the said aunt knows the giant fox the Naruto houses himself. Yeah…

That's pretty absurd.

Shion frowns down at her nails, although there's only three and all of them are cracked. "Just go with the flow, babe. Man, it'd be a fucking riot if Kushina was here. You'd be bawling, sun lolly. Fucking bawling, yeah!" she cackles, but what really shakes their surroundings is when Kurama too, laughs.

Sakura meets Naruto's eyes, and she shrugs because she's not sure herself. As Shion said, just go with the flow and everything will be easier to deal with. "Does that mean that you, Kushina and Kurama were all friends?" she queries, alternating her gaze from Kurama to Shion.

Naruto's still trying to process it all. "I thought you hated humans?" he comments, looking to Kurama who abruptly stops laughing.

The fox then grins, leaning down so that his head is closer to where all the tiny people are. **"For the most part, yes. But if you look at Shion here, she's not human at all."** they glance to Shion, who yawns again then sluggishly blinks. Her hair billows around her in a rather ethereal and sinister manner. **"Deplorable, terrible, manipulative, cruel and selfish is what your aunt is. Inhuman and despicable, but fun. Definitely fun."**

Shion grins. "Look at you, flattering me, you piece of shit. You just adore me because of how I mindfucked Kushina that one time and let you take control of her body." she replies, which is actually rather alarming, because what and how?

"Hold up, you did what to kaa-chan for this bastard?" Naruto whirls around, feeling as confused and lost as she does. "When, how and most importantly, _why_?"

His aunt gives him a dismissive wave. "It's nothing, man. Only lasted for an hour and he couldn't do much anyway, since it was an experiment. Good fun though, Kushina enjoyed sploshing around in the water here." she grins, before it quickly falls and the particular emptiness of her existence returns for a moment.

Kurama growls, apparently understanding. **"You know who it was."** he… accuses? Sakura's not sure what he's referring to, but Shion seems to.

"They'll get fucked up, my darling blob. We just have to wait a little longer." and the two inhuman friends cackle together once more.

Sakura had been expecting… well, it certainly wasn't this and she doesn't think that Naruto disagrees in that regard.

* * *

Naruto holds his hand in his hands, looking somewhat traumatised. She hopes that he'll snap out of it soon, since they've got to return back to Konoha in a few hours. Or… well, he could just sit atop one of her owls.

"My mind is blown…" he whispers, in both awe and horror. She can't help but pity him, so she pats his head and enjoys the fluffiness. "So blown. This bastard fox in my stomach is friends with my dead aunt, who's actually in your head and she's straight up fucked both in mind and body."

"That about summarises it." she agrees, removing her hand once he lifts his head to look at her. "You shouldn't worry about it too much."

He frowns at her then. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he inquires, almost demands. He sounds accusing, hurt even and that somewhat irritates her. Her gaze cools as she stares down at him.

"Because then you'd see only Shion and forget that I'm here. You were already fixated on how I looked like her, what would happen if you knew that she was actually here? You'd want me to let her take control, or at least relay messages from her to you. You wouldn't be talking to me, because I'd only be the messenger and like I'd ever want that."

The blonde flinches, before lowering his head once more. "Yeah… you're right. It's just so… out there, you know?" he chuckles, albeit with less amusement. She understands.

Sakura sits by him on the bed. "You know now, at least." she sighs, then turns her head when Gaara enters the room. The others are scattered around somewhere, but she's not too worried at the moment since they'll be coming back soon enough anyway. Datsuji is probably getting checked on and Karin's with him. Not sure about her brothers and Sasuke.

"The council believe that it's best if I accompany you back to Konohagakure." he tells her, his eyes shifting to Naruto. The blonde turns, meeting his gaze. There's a gleam in Gaara's eyes, and she knows that that means he likes Naruto's eyes. Not surprising, Naruto's eyes are pretty dazzling. "Though we've improved in our military and medical stature over the years… they don't think it's efficient to keep me here, as I'm one of their first forms of defence but I'm also the one these people seem to be hunting."

That's smart of them. Konohagakure is more qualified to protect him, but that would also mean that attacks from the Akatsuki have a higher chance of occurring within the village. Unless they need to recover from the loss of their two operatives. Sunagakure at least, would have less chance of being targeted again.

"You're like me then, huh?" Naruto murmurs, before laying back and heaving a heavy sigh. "I need to sleep on this. I can't deal with this shit right now."

Sakura laughs, because she's been dealing with it her entire life.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,936

 **Total Word Count:** 75,124

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** I really rushed through this chapter, because I lost a lot of sleep and time to breed pokemon. I thought wouldn't make it in time, but surprisingly I'm earlier than I have been of late. It's still not up to par, but eh.

Fun stuff though, is that I have like thirty Beldums now with a bunch of Cyndaquils, Popplios and Bagons now. I'm most proud of the Beldum thing though, since they have the same catch rate as a legendary and I haven't even finished the main story yet. I'll most likely just trade them off randomly.

But yeah, I have no idea how I'm going to end this story, but I know it's direction at least. So... yay for that.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	24. Shion's Unspecified Plans

**A/N:** Day twenty-four. I've re-uploaded the last chapter with the actual chapter, so I recommend going back to read it. I'm so sorry, guys.

* * *

After having Tsunade angrily decide for Gaara to stay at Naruto's with extra ANBU protection, Sakura and her brothers plan to go home. But she's interrupted from doing so when asked about Sasori and his peculiar existence, prompting her brothers to wait for her outside instead of going home ahead of her.

Interrogation isn't exactly her forte, but she supposes that she's proficient enough. Perhaps not on the level of a Yamanaka, whose skillsets are naturally better suited for interrogation. She thinks Tsunade might want her to interrogate Sasori, and though she's interested she's not sure she could.

The Yamanaka make her wonder if they'd be able to get inside Sasori's core, if he has a consciousness when without a puppet body to attach himself to. The whole conversion from human to puppet is honestly rather baffling though, even if it doesn't seem all that impossible.

Would he have been able to create multiple cores, stored away in case one is destroyed? She thinks that'd be like having a part of one's soul die, which would probably be excruciatingly painful. Shion had mentioned something about idiots splitting their souls, though it's a distant and vague memory.

"I'd get you to study it, but you're too valuable to keep around here when you could be doing something more active." Tsunade sneers at the desk, before leaning back and pinning Sakura under her gaze. "I'll get Tenten and Shizune to study it, or…"

Sakura tilts her head as Tsunade continues to think and mutter to herself. The slug Sannin then chuckles and it makes Sakura wonder if the woman's okay sometimes.

"Yeah, I'll give the core to Orochimaru, the freaky bastard. Apparently they knew each other a long time ago or some shit, so it all works out in the end." Tsunade leans back in her chair, then stares up at the ceiling. "You and your brothers should go with Jiraiya to investigate the suspicious shit going on around Amegakure."

"When?" she asks in return, because it's not really something that she can refuse to accept. Well, she could but there's not much point. It'd just start a fight and she doesn't have much of a reason to decline anyway.

"A week from now, so prepare yourselves. I'd get your cunt of a captain to go too," and Tsunade gives an obligatory spit of hatred at the thought of Shisui, "but he's on his own mission and he shouldn't be back until you've already left. Fucking shitbag."

Sakura catches the three mission scrolls flung her way, as she once again wonders what they have against one another. It seems like it's going to forever remain a mystery. "I'll inform my brothers, then." she responds, before flinging the scroll containing Sasori at Tsunade's face.

The slug Sannin catches it, as expected and glares at her. It would be downright embarrassing if she didn't. "You little shit, where's your manners to your Hokage?"

She smiles, even though Tsunade can't see it before making her way to the door. "See you, Tsunade-san." she replies, just to purposefully rile the woman up.

A kunai flies past her head and embeds itself in a wall as she leaves to meet her brothers, much to her amusement.

* * *

They lie together, with her head on his stomach as they relax and enjoy the peace that surrounds them. It's something she and Shikamaru try to do often, since he's been training for the status of a jounin alongside general missions and she has the Akatsuki to deal with.

There's also the bit where she has to check up on Gaara who's rather uncomfortable being around strangers. He also doesn't enjoy the fact that Naruto's basically been revered for his status as a jinchuuriki, when his life has been… well, less than pleasant.

It means that she's been checking up on him for the past few days, since she's his only friend and he's less likely to do something violent if she's around.

She'd probably let him stay at their house, but neither of her brothers nor Kakashi are really comfortable with that. Father would laugh and basically just accept anyone if she says it's okay for them to be there. There's quite a lot of faith in her, which is both nice and perhaps a little too lenient. It's fine though, for her at least.

She hopes Gaara can deal with people whilst she's away. Naruto may be able to convert his fellow jinchuuriki into becoming one of his many friends, though.

"How long will you be away on your mission?" Shikamaru drawls in question, sounding sleepy as he runs his fingers through her hair. Her higanbana crown's usually taken off for this, since it feels nice to have someone run their fingers along her scalp. She remembers how he thought it seemed to strange to see her without it, the first time she took it off in front of him.

She hums. "I don't know, but it's probably more dangerous than usual." she replies, closing her eyes.

It's easier to feel Shikamaru's disapproval since they've known one another for so long, but he knows that being a ninja comes with a certain amount of risk. They all know it and it'd be insulting to tell a ninja to turn down a mission just because it's considered too dangerous.

"Be careful." he murmurs, lifting a few locks of her hair. "Have you ever thought about growing your hair out?"

Sakura shifts, adjusting her position to sit up and look down at him. He's resting one arm behind his head, and he greets her with a gentle smirk. She smiles, reaching over and running her hands through his untied hair.

"It'd get in the way." is her soft reply. "I don't really care about the whole symbolism that long hair means a great ninja. Why? Did you want to see me with long hair?"

He smiles up at her, before shaking his head a little. "It'd be different, but I was just thinking about it. I like it how it is." his smile soon turns into a frown as his eyes drop from her eyes to her collarbone. "You'd probably resemble Shion even more if you had it long."

She agrees, since Shion's hair is rather long and they look to be about the same age despite Shion having died at nineteen.

"Is it a tradition for Nara to tie their hair back?" she queries, lying back down on his chest. He drapes an arm over her in an absentminded fashion.

"More of a trend, really. There's not much meaning behind it, other than to keep it out of the way." Shikamaru responds with a yawn. "I guess it's because most of us can't be bothered getting our hair trimmed, but our hair grows slowly so we don't have trim it so often."

"How lax of you all." she chuckles. "Sai and I often have to cut our hair because of how quickly it grows out. It happens when we go on long term missions and can't afford to leave behind evidence like that. It's probably another reason why we all wear wigs, since so many strands of Neji's hair falls out if it's not tied up. We can't be too careful on our kind of missions."

Shikamaru's chest moves in time with his laugh, which feels a little strange when she's resting her head on it. "Must be difficult."

She smiles. "It's fun to tease him about it."

* * *

Jiraiya whistles as they all sit on the back of one of her large summons, since it's more convenient that way and she only has to maintain one concealment genjutsu. His hair billows behind him like a rugged cape, and she has the strangest thought of him running a kingdom full of toads and naked women as he stands above them all.

"We should be there in no time." the toad Sannin comments, impressed. "Who knew owls could fly so fast? But… _how_ did you get the contract for them in the first place, hey Murasaki-chan?"

She glances back at him, wondering why he's using such a suggestive tone. Perhaps he knows about Father's underground business, although that wouldn't be too surprising considering his status as a master spy. Her question would be why it hasn't been uprooted then, if that's the case.

"It was gifted to me by a suspicious person, but I decided that I might as well put it to use." she replies, glancing over to the brunet of her brothers and noting his majestic stance. With his arms folded and his hair also billowing behind him as he stands, Neji looks like he's about to ruin someone's day simply for being so inferior.

"Suspicious person, indeed!" Jiraiya comments with a cheery tone, though he doesn't sound as disapproving as she expected. Well, she supposes that everyone has their fair share of shady and often illegal activities in their lives. "I wouldn't mind owls, but they often prey on toads and that's pretty uncool."

She hums, even if the wind drowns it out. "Toads aren't the only animals they eat, it's all a matter of survival." she murmurs, but doesn't expect a response since her words are too quiet.

They all fall silent for a while, until the outline of Amegakure can be seen. It's a rather unique village and she doesn't think she'd mind living there if it weren't for the abundance of rain. Having to bring an umbrella everywhere just sounds inconvenient, in her opinion.

She summons a few small owls that could fit in the palms of her hands, and they whistle in greeting as she pets one of them. "Scout the area for me, please?" she requests, and they whistle in tandem before taking flight towards the village.

"What is it that you wish to do, Jiraiya-sama?" Sai queries, sealing away his sketchbook before looking towards their current captain.

Jiraiya hums in thought, squinting to the sky and rubbing his chin as if he's trying to act in a movie and failing to act well. "Let's get some ninja, see if we can make them talk." he turns to her then, with a large grin. "I hear you've got some interesting genjutsu and fuuinjutsu. We should collaborate, hey?"

How strange, she thinks. His lack of commentary in regards to his perversion is unusual, but she supposes it's because she's never been on a mission with him and seen him in action.

"That's fine. Sai." she turns to the artist of her brothers, whom nods and draws a bird for him to ride on. "He'll get our captives for us." she explains as Sai sets off.

The toad Sannin whistles. "Women in charge turn me on, you know?" he leers at her, and she feels relieved even though she shouldn't be.

" _Disgusting_." Neji spits, and she laughs.

* * *

When she finds herself in another dream, she tries not to panic as she attempts to remember what happened. She standing atop a sea of black, with jagged spikes and shrivelled hands visible above the surface. The sky is grey and cloudy, and it's a much more desolate world than the other one.

She jumps when a hand bursts out of the water to grab her, expecting gravity to pull her back down soon after. It doesn't, and she's suspended in air.

Something screeches, though it's muffled and has come from the water below. It's too dark and murky to see anything under the surface, but she knows she'd rather not get dragged down.

The world then freezes, before it's violently flushed away and all that's left is a black void. Shion appears in front of her then, far too close and far too eerie as the cracked woman grins at her with an exaggerated tilt of the head.

Sakura steps back, feeling rather out of her depth because this has never happened before.

"So I've been wondering, sugar bean, what would happen to us if we were permanently split apart." Shion comments, cracking her back as though there's nothing strange about their surroundings. "I'm under the impression that our chakra isn't our soul, since you've got shit like Sasori whose puppets still contain chakra and kekkei genkai. But then, we're a little different since our chakra has merged and our minds are connected if even they're not entirely merged, yeah."

She frowns, in both bemusement and suspicion. "I don't understand what's going on and I'd appreciate it if you enlightened me."

Shion waves a dismissive hand, and there are no splintered shards this time. It's unexpectedly unsettling. "Pein captured you, but that may be because I helped a little there." is the woman's answer. "Your brothers and Jiraiya are fine as well, if a little roughened up from me having to calm them down in a sense. They really didn't appreciate me being there, haha. Jiraiya was cool though, mostly."

Sakura tilts her head, before her mind replays the memory of her growing faint when Pein had appeared. Shion hadn't given her any indication that she'd be taking over.

"See, sugar plum. I have been waiting years for a certain thing to happen, and I'm so very close to achieving it. But, I'd like you to cooperate with me rather than going against me, yeah." Shion cracks her neck with a slight frown. "It'd be much easier and better for both of us, since I'd have to get rid of you and your brothers. I have a special fondness for you three, so you know, that'd be a shame."

A world is slowly starting to build around them, back to the open field of dead animals and aimless humanoid monsters.

"Does this have anything to do with what Itachi said about hurting those I care about?" Sakura inquires with a mild scowl, because she didn't really appreciate that at all. She'd spent weeks wondering what the hell and how to prevent it.

Shion blinks, before squinting at her like she's deranged. "Wait, what? He said what?"

She blinks too, in the realisation that they've never actually discussed that. She thought that Shion knew, since it's been obvious that they appear to be collaborating together for something. Then again, it'd been just after she recovered from the experiment, so perhaps Shion had been asleep for it all.

"He asked about Kakashi, specifically." she tells the redheaded woman, whom abruptly sneers.

The world shatters around them like glass, a project scrapped from apparent rage. "He should know by now…" Shion hisses, mostly to herself before she waves her hand again. "Fuck, whatever. I'll deal with him later, I'll let you be in control as long as you don't do anything I consider shit. Your brothers are a fucking pain to deal with, yeah."

Sakura frowns in concern and doubt, before she nods. "As long as they're safe." even though she knows that she'd lose in a mental battle against Shion for killing off Sai and Neji. She'd still try, at the least.

Shion hums. "They're loyal to you, not the village. This is basically treason, but neither of us have given much of a shit about Konohagakure, yeah. Jiraiya's confused, but he's also still the same fucking shit turd I know. Alright, jelly bean. Talk later, yeah?"

When she wakes up, she's in an unfamiliar place but lays her eyes on familiar people. Then she's assaulted in the form of a hug by said familiar people, whom bombard her with frantic and angry demands about what the hell Shion was up to with the possession stuff.

She only has theories, rather than anything concrete. She'll just have to go along with it, she supposes.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,614

 **Total Word Count:** 77,738

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for this chapter. I woke up late from my nap and had like three hours to write this before the end of my day, then I had momentary writer's block and had to punch that in the dick. Again, I'm so sorry for all the confusion from last chapter. I had edited it and accidentally clicked on the other file. Gah!

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	25. Akatsuki's Brand of Absurdity

**A/N:** Day twenty-five. One of my better days, let's hope I can have better days for the rest of the month.

* * *

Here, she realises as she sips on tea with international criminals she's been actively seeking to destroy, is that the absurdity is strong here. It's so, so very strong and if it wasn't for her high tolerance for the absurdity then she'd be passed out on the floor by now.

"I am God." Pein intones, with a rather intense blank look in his ringed eyes of periwinkle. It feels both familiar and unfamiliar. "I will set the world right."

Konan, the only female of the Akatsuki as far as Sakura knows, slaps the back of the apparent Akatsuki leader like scolding a child. "That is not how you introduce yourself, Pein." the admittedly attractive woman reprimands, her voice soft but no less firm.

Jiraiya, who's being rather lackadaisical as he lounges on the other end of the couch they're occupying, bellows out a laugh. "So _this_ is what happened to my deformed little Ame babies, oh, it's precious!" then he snorts into his tea and Sakura attempts to conceal her smile behind her own tea cup.

Konan bows her head and draws attention to the paper flower in her lapis-shaded hair. It's quite nice, actually. "I apologise. Pein is not good with strangers and he does not have many friends. Please do not mind him."

Pein simply turns to direct an empty stare at his teammate, or partner. She's not sure. "They must acknowledge my greatness, Konan. I must tell the world."

"They're everywhere…" Neji whispers to himself, his head in his hands from mild distress at the realisation that the Akatsuki are sort of dorks. Although, she's yet to meet all of them so their opinions might change.

Sai pats his brother on the back in consolation. "How it must hurt your naturally normalised nature, otouto." he remarks, with a tone that sounds so very insincere but also amused.

"You are making a terrible impression of yourself, Pein." Konan replies, turning away. "They must think you an idiot."

She can almost imagine a dramatic and highly offended gasp from Pein, but there's nothing. Clearly, Konan can see through the sheer nothingness as a slight smirk appears on her lips. How nice, that Pein has someone able to get past the intensity of his blank face and see his inner emotions.

"So, hey my adorably fucked orphans." Jiraiya puts his feet up on the coffee table, clearly rather comfortable with this situation. It's rather impressive, really. "Why are we here and what's it got to do with my crackhead babe that's stuck in this pink bundle of wonder?"

Sakura has the sudden realisation that he and Father would get along great. She has another realisation that it would also work with Shion there. Then she has _another_ one, where Shisui joins in and she can see their day ending with a whole village decimated. Probably Konoha.

Konan's slight smirk disappears as she turns her gaze over to her former master. Teacher? "It is something we are not able to talk about, I apologise. You will simply have to put faith in us, to not put any of you in danger. Although…" her eyes slide to Sakura, in contemplation. "I am not sure about you. We will see."

Her brothers tense up at that, but she hums and leans back as she continues to drink her tea. It's quite nice, probably because it might actually be one of Father's brands.

"Can you tell us what Akatsuki's end goal is?" she tries, not exactly expecting much. She did hear the whole, 'I will make the world right' but that's rather vague as everyone's opinion of right is different.

Konan and Pein share a glance… or rather, they start a staring contest before Pein looks away in a manner she would interpret to be defeated. Konan's amber eyes settle on her, leaning forward the slightest.

"It is peace that we seek." the Akatsuki woman answers, setting down her tea cup. "There is always conflict, always suffering… We wish to stop that."

How idealistic, Sakura thinks with a good sense of cynicism running through her veins. She even hears Shion snort, but nothing more as her mental resident appears to be going through one of those 'I will tell my secrets when I want' phases. Sometimes, that means that Sakura is left in the dark for the most part.

Jiraiya audibly yawns as he props an elbow up on the arm rest of the couch. "Peace is all fun and dandy, kiddies, but it's not something that you can force onto people."

Konan's eyes darken. "It will be." is her ominous promise, before she turns to the new occupants of the rather large and surprisingly stylish lounge room. "Kisame. Welcome back. Where is Itachi?"

Sakura turns around, blinking when her eyes land on the giant blue man that resembles a shark. She remembers him from the Bingo Books and reports, but it's much different seeing him in reality. He's much taller than she thought he'd be.

Kisame shrugs his rather broad shoulders. "Off doing his own thing again, good riddance. Who are these fishes?" he meets her eyes, giving her a feral grin she supposes is meant to be intimidating.

She smiles back, prompting him to pause and blink at her. Then he squints, although it's a little strange since his eyes are so small. "Wait, I know you. You're one of the chicks in those creepy photos that Itachi has pinned to his walls."

Sai continues sipping on his tea as Neji whirls around to look at her like she's an aberration. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" he demands, in such a way that would be more insulting if she didn't understand what he meant by the question. Thankfully for him, she does.

"I house a psychotic, eternal soul that forcefully makes friends with monsters… with some of them being horribly obsessive." she replies, in a tone much lighter than she's expecting.

The giant blue man whistles. "Your life must be fucked, angelfish." he remarks, and she gives him a certain look. He actually comes over and pats her shoulder in consolation. "It's okay, I understand. Itachi's a fucking nightmare to deal with, I would know since I'm his partner."

She squints at him, before patting his large hand. "How unfortunate." she murmurs, and surprisingly she does pity him.

"Stop making friends with strange people!" Neji hisses from her side. "Just stop!"

"You can't stop the absurdity, otouto." Sai replies with a smile. Shion cackles in her usual deranged manner.

* * *

She's somewhat surprised that her stay at the main Akatsuki base has been so pleasant, in a sense. It's a little jarring, considering that they're the enemy. Or they _were_ enemy. She's not exactly sure at the moment, since the whole topic of loyalty is a little hard for her to wrap her head around. Team Yamaneko's never failed a mission, but is it because of loyalty to the village or because they didn't want to die via Shisui's wrath?

The latter, clearly.

Still, though. After about a week of playing a variation of games with Kisame, Pein, Konan, Jiraiya and her brothers, she has to ask when something is actually going to happen.

It's a question she asks Jiraiya, first and foremost since he's still technically their captain. He's lounging on the couch again, although she understands since it's actually quite a nice and comfortable couch. Sai's on another one, drawing in his sketchbook as Konan does origami next to him.

Neji seems to be the one who's having the hardest time adjusting, as usual. He's always been the most normal of them all, even if normality is mostly perception. At least he's trying, since even though they're in this situation he still plays card games with them all. He probably just doesn't want to be left out when everyone's playing, left to sulk in a corner.

"I guess until Shion gets her shit done." Jiraiya replies to be previous query, cracking his neck after yawning. She, in turn, yawns as well. "It's always best to just go with her flow even if it might be a little treasonous. She's always had ways to make the experience far less pleasant, if not."

Then he grins up at the ceiling, probably thinking of fond memories. "Although I've always thought it was strange that you resembled her so much, I never thought the reason why would be because she's in there with you." he turns back to her, his expression becoming a little more thoughtful. "I guess it was your personality that threw me off. I'd have thought that she would have made you have a similar personality as hers."

Sakura blinks, tilting her head in contemplation. "I don't think that'd be fun for her." she replies, honestly. "She's influenced me a lot, but she's also allowed me to grow in my own way. I think it's more interesting for her that way, especially since I'm more human than she is. She always enjoys sleeping a lot, so there's that as well."

Jiraiya grins. "I've got to say I'm impressed. Both with you and the fact that she's still plotting even long after her death. Orochimaru would throw a party if he knew she was still around." he soon cringes, looking to the side. "But he'd probably try to bring her back with some unfortunate means."

She hums. "I don't think the act of bringing back the dead comes without sacrifice." she murmurs, before taking heed of her own words and feeling something ominous lay in her gut.

"Yeah, you're right…" the toad Sannin looks down, uncharacteristically solemn. In the next moment he pipes up with, "Konan! Is there porn here, because I'm getting depressed and going through withdrawals!"

She frowns, before stepping away because it's obvious that the conversation is done. She heads off towards the kitchen, in search of the cereal that Kisame had been so kind to buy for her. Since they're still basically the Akatsuki's prisoners.

Then she makes an abrupt turn away just as she's about to enter the kitchen, because she doesn't want to deal with the thing inside there. It's too late, as he's blocked her path and giving her some kind of wolfish and leering grin. Would anyone be angry if she tries to behead him, she wonders?

"Hey, there bubblegum." the one whom she knows to be Hidan greets her. "I'm a pretty shit chakra sensor, but I have an amazing knack for sensing the fucking agonised and tortured soul inside of you!"

Sakura blinks in mild confusion. "I'm not sure how to respond to that, so I hope that you can just… go away to save me the trouble." she replies, unsure of whether she should smile or not. The smiling might make it seem like she's being sassy and she's not sure if he's into that or not.

Hidan's eyes are the shade of eggplant, she notes as they widen to a worrying degree. She's not sure if she should be disappointed or relieved to know that it simply doesn't compare to how Shion's eyes usually are. Or Shisui's, for that matter.

"Jashin-sama says there's something really fucked up about you, sweetcheeks." he leans forward, so she leans back without fully taking a step back. It never really works out, anyway. "He can't figure it out, but he and I both know that you'd be the best goddamn fucking sacrifice. So how about it? Want to fight and have a wonderful experience of pain and suffering together?"

She quickly steps aside as Hidan's kicked into the farthest wall and his masked partner reveals himself in the archway.

"Would you stop being an annoyance?" Kakuzu sneers with his deep and particularly rumbly voice. Then he turns to her, his peculiar eyes flickering to the higanbana on her head then to the seal on her forehead. She feels like this has happened before, as she notes that he's unusually tall. "You…"

"Me." she replies, with her frown deepening. She just wants cereal, is that so difficult to get?

Hidan curses as he attempts to dislodge himself from the wall, which actually appears to be rather sturdy. Since it's only cracked and has a Hidan crater rather than having crumbled into rubble.

Kakuzu squints at her. "No. You're not her." he says, though mostly to himself as he then walks away. Because apparently he had no other reason to be there than to kick Hidan in the back.

Sakura ignores Hidan as she gets her cereal and dumps far more sugar than usual in the bowl, as a bad attempt to help her deal with this. At least she hasn't fainted.

* * *

She's walking down one of the many halls of the Akatsuki base when someone wearing an orange mask turns the corner, and she realises that she doesn't recognise that person from any of the reports or Bingo Books. The man turns towards her, then startles her when he legitimately shrieks and jumps back quite a ways away in fright.

Too surprised to really do much, she stares at him as he literally cowers in a corner. When nothing really changes for a good thirty seconds, she takes a tentative step forward and he flinches. Then he starts to mutter to himself, almost inaudible until she's close enough to hear.

"Tobi Tobi's sorry, Tobi Tobi's sorry, Tobi Tobi's going to make it right, please!" he chants, over and over again in a strangely high and childish voice. "Tobi Tobi's nearly ready, Tobi Tobi shouldn't have hallucinations anymore, Tobi Tobi's relapsing no!"

 _"Leave him."_ Shion snarls, in such a way that Sakura flinches back and immediately obeys.

She glances back at the cowering man, who remains as such when she turns the corner and leaves his field of view. There are so many questions, but she doubts that any of them will be answered so she doesn't ask.

Konan is teaching Sai how to make origami when she finds them in the lounge, and by the looks of it he's doing rather well. Sakura thinks it must be nice to be with a fellow artist, even if said artist is a terrorist intent of forcing peace onto the entire world.

Neji's meditating in a corner, but appears to be struggling as Jiraiya's purposefully perched by him as he reads some kind of porn book. It must be the disturbingly high-pitched giggling that's getting to him.

"Are you sure that Tsunade wouldn't be worrying about us by now?" she queries, approaching her brother and current captain then crouching down. Neji finally gives up, his shoulders slumping and his eyes opening to look at her. She smiles, before running her fingers through his hair.

He frowns, but he's secretly pleased.

"I've already sent a message saying we'll be a while," Jiraiya casually replies, turning the page of his book, "she'll be pissed but she should understand that some missions just don't go as planned."

Neji scoffs and mutters something she can't decipher under his breath. He must still be stressed, since he brought his spare brush and it just doesn't have the same feeling when she uses it to brush his hair every night. She tries not to smile, because he's rather perceptive of her types of smiles.

"I suppose that's fine, then." she responds to Jiraiya, deciding not to ask about the man with the orange mask. Even though Shion generally lets Sakura seek the answers herself without interfering, something about this feels wrong and touchy to ask about.

There's also some thought that Jiraiya doesn't even know himself, since they may have been friends but Shion's rather secretive about many things.

* * *

It's in the middle of the night when she jumps awake, sensing a familiar signature walking together with another familiar but less likeable signature. There's also two unfamiliar signatures and one that's only vaguely familiar.

Sai and Neji both sit up, having noticed her abrupt movement. They glance to one another, before moving to get dressed and see what's going on.

They make their way towards the large area that Pein calls his meeting area, with her realising that everyone including Jiraiya seems to be converging there. Her eyes immediately settle on Kakashi, whose shoulders are slumped and he looks so very tired and resigned.

He turns to her, visually perking up a bit when he sees her before deflating once more.

 _"What the fuck is he doing here, yeah?"_ Shion growls, and Sakura realises with a mild panic that this isn't part of Shion's plan. _"What the actual fucking fuck, that fucking little shit!"_

Standing beside Kakashi is Orochimaru, and two other men whom she doesn't recognise. One of them looks like he's been put under a genjutsu. Itachi is there, smiling that terrible smile like he's about to receive something absolutely wonderful and fantastic. The man with the orange mask mutters in the corner, incomprehensible before he makes the sudden movement of standing

"Tobi Tobi's glad you could make it, Kakashi Bakashi!" Tobi Tobi, apparently, greets with so much bounce in his demeanour as he spins around. "Things will be fixed and then Tobi Tobi doesn't have to feel guilty anymore! Everything will be fine! Tobi Tobi will fix this, then Tobi Tobi will fix the world!"

Kakashi turns to Tobi Tobi. "You better do it right… Tobi…" he answers, his voice hoarse.

 _"What. Fucking what. That shit turd of a silver bun came here willingly?!"_ Shion screeches and Sakura feels panic starting to drown her a little faster now.

"Why are you here, Kakashi?" she questions him, watching as her turns to face her. His eyes are back to their melancholic, hurt puppy look and she doesn't really know what's going on. She has theories but she doesn't want them to be real. It's a shame that it's highly likely to be real.

He walks towards her, then embraces her. When she wraps her arms around him in return, she realises that this hug feels a lot like the first hug she gave him when they first met. There's a stabbing sensation in her heart, and it hurts.

"I'm here to get her back… I'm sorry, Sakura…" he murmurs with a concealed smile, before releasing her and walking back as they begin to prepare some kind of ritual. Or a seal. She doesn't recognise it.

Sai and Neji shift at her sides. "I do not think this will end well…" Sai whispers to her, and she nods but she doesn't know what to do. Even though Kakashi's here and that seems to be against Shion's interests, the rest has to be a part of her plans.

The woman herself mutters and hisses, until she heaves a deep sigh in an attempt to calm herself. _"Fuck it, yeah. I'll just add it onto my little fucking list… Fucking killing one of my favourite pets, the dicknozzles. Fucking told the cunt not to touch him, yeah. I'll teach him he's not as untouchable as he thinks he is…"_

"Shouldn't we do something?" Neji mutters to her, obviously as discomforted with the implication of the situation as she is.

She frowns, but shakes her head once. "It was his choice." she replies, even though she feels that peculiar feeling of devastation settling in her chest. She doesn't like it very much, she thinks.

In fact, she doesn't think she likes it at all.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,239

 **Total Word Count:** 80,977

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** Do you see where it's heading? I hope so, because it's pretty obvious. At least, in my opinion. My vague plans are coming to fruition, but you may feel a little conflicted about them. Like how Shion might make you feel, maybe. I'm pretty excited that we're finally here, though. It's been stressful, but I'm pretty proud of myself for getting this far. Once again, thank you all for being here.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	26. One Life for Another

**A/N:** Day twenty-six. This may be lacking, in my opinion. But whatever, I don't have the time to fix it.

* * *

Kabuto is the name of the bespectacled man with the false smile, ashen hair and dark eyes that indicates how much he functions more on logic than emotion. He's Orochimaru's medical assistant, and apparently he's grown a healthy amount of interest in Shion due to the snake Sannin's influence. It's honestly not all that surprising, but she can't say that she really likes him at the moment.

The man under the genjutsu stands inside the centre of the seal lining the floor, unaware of his impending death. Kakashi stands back with Jiraiya for a moment, handing the Toad Sannin something that she can't see properly.

He meets her eyes for a moment, before he looks away in guilt. Perhaps he thinks that if he looks long enough, Shion's eyes might appear and then he'll get punched in the throat for being a bad dog. Her chest tightens, even as a small and troubled smile forms on her face.

How strange, knowing that she's letting him go when she could probably stop him from doing so. The first one she loses is the one she lets go without a fight, with only a solemn hug of farewell.

The man standing in the centre begins to scream as ash and dust rises from the ground to encase his body. He attempts to move out of the centre, but his feet are rooted and so he's helpless. It must be something, to die within a room of highly dangerous ninja whom don't care for his existence. He doesn't know, so she wonders if that makes it alright?

Oh, she supposes not as she sees his eyes and how they've brightened with panic and desperation, but they soon disappear behind the ash and dust to form into someone else.

She doesn't recognise the girl that's formed, whom looks no older than twelve with rectangular markings of purple lining both of her cheeks and short bobbed hair of pecan. When the girl opens her eyes, Sakura notes the grey sclera that surrounds tawny irises. Cracks mar the girl's skin, which looks jarring but less severe than how Shion looks in their mindscape.

"Rin Rin!" Tobi Tobi exclaims, throwing his arms in the air and running around in circles from his excitement. Rin Rin, apparently, looks over to the eccentric man-child and frowns in bemusement. "Rin Rin's back, Rin Rin's back!"

"What…?" Rin Rin murmurs, perplexed as she looks turns around to survey her surroundings. The girl gasps when her eyes land on Kakashi, whom looks like he's rather uncomfortable with being in her field of view. "Kakashi-kun…?!"

" _No_!" Tobi Tobi yells, grabbing Rin and pulling her away as Kabuto sighs and works on summoning the next person. "Who _cares_ about Kakashi Bakashi?! No, _no_! Rin Rin doesn't need to look at him! Just Tobi Tobi! Tobi Tobi will make the world a peaceful place for Rin Rin!"

Kakashi walks into the centre of the seal as it illuminates from Kabuto's machinations. She feels her nails threatening to pierce through the durable fabric covering her palms, and she tries so hard to temper the constricting of her chest.

It's not working out very well, because he gives her one last smile before he too is encased in ash and dust. He doesn't scream, but he falls to his knees and she knows that he's in pain. It's a little odd, since he's always been a puppy who'd whimper if neglected.

Then it's her who screams, she realises as the _Byakugou no In_ forcefully rips itself open and forces her to her knees. Her chakra ̶ Shion's chakra, _their_ chakra ̶ is sucked away and all Sakura can hear is the unbearable ringing and the manic cackling that echoes in her mind.

She starts to convulse, and she's struggling to breathe as it feels like there's a tonne of pressure pushing onto the her ribcage and threatening to shatter it. Something ̶ someone, perhaps ̶ touches her and it burns, so she flinches away. Her nerves must be on fire, some detached part of herself thinks.

Another part of her thinks that she's going to die, what with how her chakra is being siphoned away from her. But she doesn't, she realises as the pulling sensation ceases and she can hear the beats of her pulse. It's disconcerting, she thinks as her heart thunders in her heart and attempts to calm itself.

" ̶ kura! Sakura!" Neji yells, his fingers touching her back and she flinches again as her nerves burn. "What did you do?!" he hisses, to someone she doesn't think is her.

Well, that was horrible. At least, she thinks as she attempts to stand, there's actually a relative amount of her chakra left. Most of it is gone, but what she's left with is by no means _too_ bad. It's because of Shion's heritage that their chakra was so large in the first place. She still feels like a large part of her has just disappeared though, leaving the essentials of her existence behind.

She manages to stand, with Sai and Neji's help. Her head aches and there's still the muted ringing in her ears, unfortunately. Then she smiles, when her heavy-lidded eyes meet indigo irises and grey sclera. A cracked, maniacal grin is given to her in return.

"Shion Nion's back!" Tobi Tobi exclaims once more, throwing his arms in the air and dancing around a rather disturbed and fearful Rin Rin. "Kakashi Bakashi's dead! It's all right now! Now Tobi Tobi can fix the entire world without guilt!"

Shion doesn't look that much different, what with the cracks and all, but as least she appears to be whole this time. The woman looks down at her hands, opening and closing them before looking over to Pein.

Pein steps forward as Kabuto removes the reincarnation seal from the floor, packing up to stand with the snake Sannin who looks to be rather excited in a fatigued manner.

"It is time." he intones, and she feels herself giggle in a somewhat hysterical manner because of how dramatic he is. Pein goes through two handsigns, though she's not exactly sure what ones specifically since her eyesight is a little blurry and he's at the far end of the room. "Gedou — Rinne Tensei no Jutsu."

Steam surrounds and bursts from the two reincarnated females, surrounding the entire room in it and temporarily blinding them all.

"What the hell's going on now?" Neji growls, still holding onto her and using one arm to shield his eyes. Sai makes a sound in his throat, adjusting his hold on her for a moment.

When the steam clears, Shion's standing beside Jiraiya and covering her left eye with a sneer on her lips. Sakura feels a tug on her chest, as she realises that the cracks and grey sclera have disappeared to reveal smooth skin and wide, white sclera instead. Her chakra seems to pulsate, from having her chakra now split into two bodies. Or at least, that's her assumption.

Rin Rin appears to have undergone the same thing, but she seems doubly more confused than Shion who's grinning like a maniac. "What is going on…?"

Pein's shoulders slump a little, and Konan murmurs indecipherable words to him as she offers her shoulder. He seems to obey, draping an arm around her shoulders and leaning against her. Sakura's a little surprised and mostly impressed that he can apparently bring people to life without dying himself.

That seems rather out of whack, and so Sakura laughs again. She's probably a little delirious.

Tobi Tobi lifts the revived child into a suffocating hug, eliciting a startled scream from said revived child. "Rin Rin's alive! Rin Rin's back! Tobi Tobi and Rin Rin can live their forever ever after now!" he giggles, bouncing around as Sakura sees Itachi and Shion exchange a glance.

Then Shion drops her hand from her eye, blinking it a few times and revealing Kakashi's Sharingan. "This is fucking gross and trippy, yeah!" the woman laughs, slapping Jiraiya on the shoulder as he slaps her back. "Oh, lord Jesus! Fuck me, this is going to take some getting used to."

"I think Kakashi would gush if he saw you wearing his eye, hey!" Jiraiya guffaws with her, and Sakura thinks that's kind of strange but whatever. She feels her stomach fall when their laughs abruptly stop, because that's just unsettling.

Shion cracks her neck, then her fingers as she then pulls on the elastic of her bra ̶̶ Sakura's assuming ̶ to probably stop it from being an annoyance. Maybe. "'Kay, let's get this shit started!" she exclaims.

And then Sakura has no idea what happens next.

* * *

Shion rips out Tobi Tobi's eyes, in such a savage way that Sakura might've heard a muscle or two literally snap apart. The revived Uzumaki is laughing, which is really rather disturbing to hear in reality and not in the confines of her mind.

"Tobi Tobi brought Shion Nion back!" Tobi Tobi cries, in confusion and terror as Shion holds him down. He sobs, like a terrified child an it's almost conflicting to watch. "Why is Shion Nion mad?!"

The woman herself coos in a mocking manner, holding Tobi Tobi's mutated and bleeding face in her hands even though he can't see or really move. "Tobi Tobi tried to kill my favourite pet because of something his little girlfriend did to silver bun. He killed me instead, but I made sure that he'd want to revive me and his girlfriend before that because I have _plans_." she clicks her tongue, dropping the man's face and standing. "Should've known that one of my other pets would get jealous and go against me like that, yeah."

Shion sighs, then stomps on his right arm with enough force to snap it. Tobi Tobi yells and squirms. "Please! Tobi Tobi just wanted to fix the mistake! It's been fixed, it's been fixed!"

"No, fuck you it has." the redhead sneers, turning around to see Kabuto holding onto a restrained Rin Rin with a smile. Itachi went off somewhere, after a member that Shion had called a parasite. "I'm going to give you new eyes, yeah? Normal eyes, of course. Then, you'll get to witness Rin Rin getting fucked up as you sit and remain unable to help her, yeah. It'll be like in the movies and shit, you know?"

Neji flinches back, appalled. Sakura puts a hand on his shoulder and he frowns at her. "I don't…" he struggles with his words, not sure how to explain it since they've done quite a lot of immoral things on missions. But this isn't a mission she supposes, more so of a revenge plot and perhaps that's what's wrong with it all in his opinion. They don't enjoy killing and hurting others, as it's just part of the job. Shion's a little different, it would seem.

"Don't go against her." she advises with a slight wince from her headache and burning nerves, her eyes following her former mental resident as the deranged woman drags a screaming Tobi Tobi to the other members of the Akatsuki. Well, there's also the Sannin and Kabuto. "There's not much point in doing that, and it won't work out well for us."

Sai nods in agreement, with a deep frown marring his expression. "I do not think she will hesitate all that much if she deems us a nuisance and decides to get rid of us." he states, watching as Konan disappears after nodding at whatever Shion said. "How did she manage to get Akatsuki's help?"

"Itachi-san seems to be the most likely answer." she replies, watching Shion give a struggling Tobi Tobi to Orochimaru. Both the snake Sannin and his assistant walk off with Pein, who appears to be escorting them somewhere.

Shion turns, meeting her eyes. When Sakura blinks, the woman is much closer than a second ago and it's really rather perturbing. It's like they're in a horror movie and Shion's the evil spirit.

"Hey, my shitcakes!" Sakura's former mental resident greets, then she blinks few times when her left eye twitches. Shion hisses in annoyance. "Fuck this thing, I swear! Fucking overrated piece of shit Whatever, you should go let sugar bean here rest. I'll be busy crushing someone's hopes and dreams, whilst also being busy actually crushing someone, yeah. I also have to deal with Itachi once he gets back with Zetsu, but that's for later and whatnot."

Neji tenses. "What's the point of all this?" he demands, stepping forward and having only his fingers twitch when the woman in question turns to face him.

Shion squints at him. "The point of fucking with a guy who's trying to like, summon some ugly ass beast and put some weird shit onto the moon to brainwash everyone in the world?" she frowns to the side, unsure of her own words. "I _think_ that's what he was up to, my memory's fucking horrible but I do know that there's some shit with peace. Yeah anyway, I'm actually more interested in just breaking him both for revenge and for the sake of it. Shame for Rin though, since she's going to be suffering quite a lot. Never liked her anyway, so it's not much of a loss."

Sakura doesn't think she actually cares about what Shion does to whomever at this time, since Rin Rin and Tobi Tobi are strangers. One of those strangers also had one of the largest parts in Kakashi's death, with Itachi included and that's bothers her quite a bit.

"Will I be fine?" she queries, just in case. Shion reaches forward, pressing a finger or two against her forehead. She feels the _Byakugou no In_ resonating with the contact, then something clicks even though she's not sure what.

"Yeah, basically." the other woman responds with a shrug, and Sakura realises how they're actually the same height. "Look, I'm not actually planning on staying very long, yeah. I just sort of wanted to fuck with Tobi by having him work so hard to revive both myself and Rin, then make it all crash and fucking burn. Because it sounded like fun."

"You do this for fun?" Sai queries, sounding less unsettled than their brother but still a little dubious.

"Well, yeah. Doesn't having a convoluted plan about revenge and poetic justice and whatever sound fun?" Shion grins, then glances at her gloved hands. "I suppose it's just as well that it was silver bun, yeah. Wouldn't be as dramatic, I guess. Still fucked off that Itachi purposefully went against my words though, the fucker."

"You are the most horrendous person I have ever had the displeasure to meet." Neji states, squaring his shoulders and apparently getting ready to fight if needed.

Shion, instead, laughs and pats him a little too hard on the shoulder. "Yeah, I know man. But hey, think about what would have happened if I wasn't chilling in your sister's cranium." she leans close, her crazed eyes probably disconcerting Neji a little more than their close proximity. "I had a hand in her development, and I'm fucking proud in some kind of way. How different would shit have been, then? You wonder about that, luscious liquorice?"

"Alright," Sakura murmurs, "I think we all should go rest and let the others do whatever." she'd really like to sleep and just ignore the world for a little bit. It's still somewhere in the middle of the night, she thinks.

Shion grins. "Yeah, going to fuck some bitches right in the fucking ear!" then she gasps at something. "Maybe Hidan the fucker should play with Rin!"

"Fuck yeah!" Hidan exclaims from somewhere in the distance. "Hell bitch is best bitch!"

* * *

Her dream is a little strange, since it's less nightmarish and desolate. When she looks up to the skies, there are only normal stars and the bones of animals don't crunch under her feet when she walks. The fireflies are green now, and the water a clear sapphire similar to the river in the Nara forest.

There are fields of shions scattered about, and she thinks it strange when she crouches down to touch one of them. They look so innocent, like the kind of flowers a child would pick for their mother from the side of the street.

When she picks one, it bleeds red and then rapidly wilts until it inevitably crumbles to dust. There's something melancholic about the flowers… Perhaps because of the person whom is named after them. Or perhaps they're just melancholic flowers in general, as they do mean remembrance in the flower language.

It's strange, feeling and knowing that Shion's not exactly connected with her anymore. Their chakra may not have been undiluted when their chakra was split, but it doesn't change the fact that Shion's consciousness is in another body that used to be Kakashi's.

She wonders how she feels about that. How will Father react when he learns that Kakashi's gone? Will he be angry, or will he move on with relative ease?

"I hope you're happier in your next life, Kakashi." she murmurs, standing and watching as a scarecrow grows in the middle of the flowers. "I also hope you're less like a dog, because it almost makes people feel guilty for treating you like a pet."

She imagines the scarecrow laughs with the wind of the dream as she wakes up.

* * *

Orochimaru is braiding Shion's hair as she lounges on the couch, devouring sugar-covered cereal with her legs up on the coffee table. Jiraiya's chilling on the other end of the same couch, reading another porn book as Kabuto sits across from them and just… smiles.

"You're fucking weird, toffee ash." the redheaded mastermind of psychotic plans remarks. "Are you usually into revived twelve-year-old girls screaming and moaning in pain, yeah? Because your face was all messed up when Hidan was getting off on his fucked religion, you know?"

"You'd do fucking awesome as a Jashinist, you crazy slut!" Hidan exclaims, once again from somewhere in the distance. Where is he, Sakura wonders?

Kabuto's smile widens, just the slightest. "Not usually, but it was certainly a spectacle. I don't know what exactly it is that you did inside of Tobi Tobi's mind, but it was quite interesting to witness nonetheless. Would you mind terribly if I were to take a few samples of his flesh, since that white compound appears to be quite intriguing? I wish to study it."

Shion shrugs. "If you want, I don't really give a shit. He's a vegetable now, so it's not like he has much use for it, yeah." she replies, then glances over to Sakura and her brothers. "Hey there, jelly bean. You're looking better, you know."

Sakura nods with a slight smile. "You fixed the seal, and my chakra's mostly replenished." she responds. It's not as much as before, but she thinks that it's alright.

Shion waves a hand in dismissal, placing the empty on the coffee table and forcing Orochimaru to bend over the couch to accommodate. "You may not have as much as you did, but it's more than what most people have and you're considered a Uzumaki because of it. Uzumaki were the shit, yeah, until they all died because apparently their awesome ass fuuinjutsu couldn't do fucking shit."

"Are you done with your plans?" Sai inquires, glancing to a sulking Neji who just doesn't want to be in Shion's presence. It's understandable, one has to be rather skewed themselves to get along with the monstrous woman.

"Eh, sort of. Itachi's still got to come back with that plant fucker sealed, but I wouldn't be surprised if he realised what's waiting for him when or if he returns." she hums, glancing to the ceiling in thought. "Maybe we should go find him… thank him for all he's done."

Sakura feels something tug at her gut, and soon she realises that it's muted fury. Not entirely brought to the surface, but she knows it's there.

"We should." she replies, and Shion directs her a knowing and feral grin. "We definitely should."

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,354

 **Total Word Count:** 84,331

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** I had to really rush again, since I have family over and I was awake for twenty-four hours before I could take a nap. Hopefully it made some semblance of sense, but whatever. I feel drained, so it may not have the emotion I wanted to put in it. I was dead inside whilst writing this. The segments are so uneven, but there are four segments at least. Also canon is fucked and it fucked me today, so there you go.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	27. Converting the Akatsuki?

**A/N:** Day twenty-seven. I'm so fucking close, agh!

* * *

It's rather surreal, having breakfast with a multitude of highly dangerous and infamous ninja. It's like they're one giant dysfunctional family, with Shion flicking a senbon in Hidan's eye which then makes him recoil back and slap a hand onto his wound. He yells in pain when the senbon inevitably delves deeper into his head.

Shion and Jiraiya laugh together, smacking each other like good old friends as a half-asleep Orochimaru smiles down at his breakfast. Kabuto adjusts his glasses like a bespectacled evil villain, his smile pleased and amused. Kisame too, guffaws and smacks a hand down on the table. It cracks, and surprisingly doesn't destroy the entire table.

Kakuzu grumbles out something akin to 'idiot' and continues to count his money on the table. Then there's Pein and Konan, whom appear to be at ease. Although Pein hasn't stopped staring at Shion and murmuring something about long lost relatives. It's a little disturbing, and Konan thinks so to when the woman eventually slaps him in the back of the head.

Neji and Sai sit on either side of her, with the latter rather unperturbed and the former is understandably disgruntled. He's never been real good with strangers, but then again none of them have. It's just that Neji is more irritable than she and Sai, especially when the strangers are likely insane and threatening.

He also really abhors Shion, and that's a perfectly reasonable since Shion is a pretty abhorrent person. After all, the redheaded woman had decided it would be fun to have a twelve-year-old brought back to life and then killed once more in a brutal psychological torture session.

Sakura doesn't mind all that much. Perhaps she would, if Shion had wanted Kakashi to become the sacrifice in the first place. But because that wasn't her intention, Sakura can let it go as long as Itachi suffers for it. It's more of a surety though, since Shion is relentless enough to have herself revived for the simple reasons of revenge and that it sounded fun.

There's also the part where Kakashi chose to do it himself. A small part of her is… upset, because she had thought he was done with the dead. But she supposes that being told the dead could be revived would make one rethink about things.

When she glances over to the recently revived Uzumaki, her attention is immediately drawn to the active Sharingan that's leisurely spinning in her left eye socket. Apparently it's meant to be draining, but Uzumaki _do_ have impressive reserves and stamina. Sakura's sort of surprised that Shion didn't put in the other one that she tore out from Tobi's head, but she supposes that would be twice as draining and even an Uzumaki would likely run out of steam.

Shion's also been able to mess with people's minds without the Sharingan anyway. It's still a little jarring seeing the woman alive and well, especially when she's naturally just so… unnerving. At least it's easier to get along with her, unlike Itachi.

"What are we to do about our plan of world peace?" Pein abruptly inquires, his voice the kind that just calls for attention and almost immediate answers.

Shion cracks her neck, then her fingers as she leans back. "Scrap it, yeah. Your way is fucked, at least Tobi's was interesting even it was some bullshit. This just isn't a world where conflict can be bred out of existence, you know? Maybe you should just convert your village, maybe ally with Konohagakure or some shit and leave it at that." she replies, making some sort of throaty sound before cracking her back. Must be strange being in a body of her own again.

Konan frowns. "We can achieve it, Shion-san. If we are to gather all the bijuu, then we will be able to start and finish ̶ "

"No." Shion interrupts, her scratchy voice cool as she looks down at her blackened nails. "The fuck kind of plan is that? Peace through subjugation? Don't you know how people fucking work, yeah? Not everyone will be happy that this 'peace' you've brought has been forced upon them. They'll join together, to break free of your control and it just repeats itself in an endless cycle. What you want to do is give people the choice to choose, that way they'll feel like they've chosen whatever of their own free will, yeah."

Pein doesn't twitch, but Konan's frown deepens as she stares at the wood of the table. Kisame scratches the back of his head, frowning up at the ceiling.

"Are you able to execute large area-of-effect genjutsu?" Pein asks then, and Sakura's mostly surprised that Hidan's just taken to scowling at nothing in particular with his one good eye rather than interrupting the conversation with his unwanted commentary.

Shion raises a brow, which is really rather expressive. "You want me to mindfuck people to believe in peace, yeah?" she questions in return, her tone dull. It does sound pretty farfetched, especially when Shion is not all that peaceful of an existence. "You can fuck off with that line of thought, ha! I don't give a shit about changing people to my own interests, but I'm not influencing people to believe in some fucking shit like _peace_."

The Rinnegan-wielding weirdo does actually twitch this time. "You do not believe in peace?"

Sakura feels a chill crawl up her spine, and she shivers as she turns towards Shion once more. The woman smiles, her crazed eyes shining with something indecipherable but definitely unpleasant.

"Peace is an ideal that varies between each person. What peace is to you may be chaos to another, yeah. World peace generally means that there's no fighting, but then even fighting itself is vague. Does that mean there are no arguments, no tension between one person and another? Does peace mean that people will just start accepting the beliefs and actions that contradict theirs? Who the fuck are _you_ to think that you can dominate the whole world and everything will work out? I just don't fucking understand, yeah. Life isn't without conflict or pain, and it isn't life if it is."

"This is some real boner-killing shit, my babe." Jiraiya states with an unnecessary amount of graveness, his head shaking as if disappointed.

Shion smacks him in the arm but cackles nonetheless. "Good. No one wants a stiff Jiraiya, yeah. That's fucking gross."

"Rude." the toad Sannin sniffs, but smiles regardless. She's not the only one who cringes at the table.

* * *

She happens upon Kisame when walking down a hall, whom spots her and greets her with a wave. Deciding to be sociable, she smiles and approaches him since it seems like he's in a contemplative mood and could need a second opinion.

Kisame's likely her favourite of the Akatsuki members so far, although Konan isn't all that bad since she and Sai get along well. The peace thing does put the Akatsuki woman lower in the rankings, unfortunately.

"Hey, angelfish." he grins at her, leaning against the wall and so she follows his lead as she stands beside him. "I've just been thinking about some things."

She tilts her head up at him, which will hurt her neck if she keeps it up for too long since he's so tall. "Is it because Shion may have messed with your mind by talking about deep things like peace?" she queries, since it does seem like the kind of thing to contemplate about. Especially when it's rather valid and from someone established to be a horrible person.

He chuckles. "That one's a riot. Definitely not someone I'd like to mess with if I had a choice." he then frowns at the ground, folding his arms across his chest. "Tobi was meant to show me the world he intended to create, but that's been scrapped. Then Pein's whole idea really does seem like too much of a stretch… It really makes me question what the hell life is all about."

Sakura hums, turning to look out the window across from them. It's raining again, as always. "That's quite a question to have. Maybe you should have a one on one with Shion, since she's lived quite a few lives. She'd probably have an answer, although you may not like it."

The giant shark man gives her a perplexed look and she smiles. "I don't know if you've noticed, angelfish, but that chick's straight up insane and I don't ever want to be in a room alone with her. Although she does seem to have some insight on things, which kind of scares me even more."

"She does have a deep understanding of how people work." she agrees, her eyes following a single drop of rain running down the glass. "At least she doesn't want to dominate the world. That'd be horrifying, but I doubt she'd ever want to since she'd get bored of it. She's more likely to destroy it, if anything."

He winces, but at least he understands. "How did you end up the way you did if she's been in your head for so long? She seems like the type to possess someone's body if she's trapped inside of it."

She blinks, glancing up at him. "I don't understand Shion entirely myself, nor am I immune to fearing her but… I suppose you could say that I accept most of the negative traits that she has. She may gain the loyalty of people in a rather shady manner, but at least she herself is loyal to those whom she deems hers. I put my faith in her and she put what little faith she has in me, and it's worked out relatively well so far."

Kisame grunts, turning his gaze back to the glass. "Guess she's the type to take betrayal terribly." he mutters, shuddering a little at whatever thought he's conjured in his mind.

"We're going to find Itachi and well, make him pay for getting Kakashi involved." she answers, with an anticipatory smile.

His eyes gleam with interest. "Oh, ho. That sounds like fun. You think I could get in on that?"

"I don't know, Shion might get everyone in the Akatsuki involved." she replies, but nonetheless she looks forward to it. Perhaps more than she should, but when Kisame grins she finds that it doesn't really matter all that much.

* * *

Shion's debating on whether to kill off the Akatsuki or not, and is discussing it with Orochimaru, Kabuto and Jiraiya. Sakura and her brothers are sort of just there, but it doesn't matter all that much. At least Jiraiya's put up a silencing seal so none of the Akatsuki members can overhear such a discussion.

"If they're still intent on this 'peace through world domination shit', then I'm done with them." Shion states as she lies on Orochimaru's lap, who's playing with her hair as his assistant massages one of her feet. Shion's currently holding up one of Jiraiya's porn book, reading through it with an expression that makes it seem like it's particularly dull.

Kabuto had insisted on the whole foot massage since it's apparently a therapeutic activity for him, which makes Sakura wonder if he does it to Orochimaru. For some reason, the thought unsettles her stomach.

Jiraiya sits by them, reading his own porn book. "Just dive into their deranged little brains and get rid of it, then." he suggests, with a casual disregard for the minds of the orphans whom he himself trained. "They'd be better off without it anyway. It's probably because they're virgins and so they have no idea about the greatest activity in life."

"I guess I'll just have to go visit Nagato himself, then Konan. Maybe I can convince the others to be nice without fucking their minds, but I'll do it just in case." Shion replies, turning the page of her book. She sneers then. "Your taste is still fucking horrible, Jesus lord."

"You just have no taste!" the toad Sannin retorts, dramatically as he holds his book to his chest in a defensive manner.

Neji groans, falling onto her lap in exasperation. She smiles as she looks down at him, automatically beginning run her fingers through his hair. "When do we go home?" he questions her, looking up and meeting her eyes.

"I'm not sure." she answers, looking up in time to see Shion deflect a kunai thrown her way by an offended toad Sannin. "When do we return to Konoha, Shion?"

The woman in question glances at Sakura, then shrugs. "Well, you could go now if you really want. I'll just look for my unruly pet myself, yeah. He'll probably come to me soon anyway, probably to try and appease me by bringing Zetsu in a little scroll that I'd burn to all hell."

"Is this Zetsu an important figure?" Sai queries, as he continues to sketch the scene before him. It's turning out rather well, in Sakura's opinion.

"Pretty sure he's like the secret main antagonist or some shit, yeah. I could've left him be, but he needed Tobi and I already decided to fuck him up so why not go on to fuck Zetsu up too? It's fun seeing people's plan crash and burn, yeah." Shion chuckles, rather cruelly.

"I doubt you thought it fun when Kakashi became the sacrifice." Neji hisses, mostly under his breath but Shion seems to have heard it.

Shion glances at the Hyuuga, whom sits up since laying down isn't a very intimidating position. "Well, no. Itachi wasn't supposed to go against my word, but I guess that his fucking obsession's really warped him. I just didn't have the time to condition him properly, since you know, I was fucking dead, yeah. Shame, really."

It sounds like Shion's more annoyed that Itachi dared to defy her, rather than because he managed to convince Kakashi to kill himself for her revival.

"Once we're done converting the Akatsuki, we can go look for him." Shion remarks, cracking her neck once more.

* * *

Sakura realises by the end of the Shion's side mission of mentally traumatising the Akatsuki into submission or something, that her own mission to investigate Amegakure and it's possible involvement with Akatsuki has escalated to one of the most absurd degrees. A lot has happened, including the fact that the impending threat of war from the S-rank terrorist group has been averted.

They'll probably have to return the bijuu they took though, among doing other things in order to appease the other villages. Well, it'd probably include the price of someone's head since they're all missing nin save for Konan and Pein… or Nagato. Whichever.

It's complicated and a little too much to think about at the moment, so she puts it at the back of her mind for the moment. She crouches by Hidan, who's been rocking back and forth and mumbling to himself about 'crazy fucking bitches and their voodoo mind magic' for the past fifteen minutes.

When she pokes him, he shrieks and wildly swings his arm in her direction. She dodges, blinking at him when he gives her a wide-eyed stare before morphing it into a squint.

"You're the nice bitch…" he murmurs, to himself mostly. Then he leans forward and pets her hair. "Nice bitch, yes. Nice bitch won't delve into my mind and fuck it all up, will she?"

Neji's foot comes out of nowhere, kicking away Hidan's hand. She looks up at her brother, who's scowling at the immortal Akatsuki member like he's rotted scum under a shoe. It's rather precious, in her opinion.

"That fucking hurt, cocksucker!" Hidan screeches, then flinches back when Shion pops up from behind the Hyuuga. Neji himself abruptly moves out of the way upon noticing her, even making a sound of distaste and surprise in his throat.

"Maybe I should just seal you, yeah." Shion remarks, her mismatched eyes contemplative as she stares down at the traumatised male. Then she grins. "Guess the hell bitch isn't the best bitch anymore, huh?"

Hidan glares at her, then turns away in defeat. "Fuck you, whore." he spits, and cops a kick to the face in response. He exclaims in pain, but Sakura doesn't think anyone's feeling particularly sorry for him.

"Yep! I don't want you, yeah." Shion pulls out a scroll from one of her many pouches, then rolls it open. After activating it with some of her chakra, chains burst from the surface of the scroll to wrap around Hidan. "Later, babe. Let's never talk again, yeah?"

The Jashinist disappears into the scroll with an enraged scream, then the scroll itself disappears in a flurry of fire. Shion looks down at Sakura, with a light smile.

"So I've convinced the others to be my minions, and now we can go on a weasel hunt. You ready, yeah?" she asks as she cracks her back again.

Sakura nods as she stands, glancing over to Neji who huffs but nods nonetheless. "Yeah," she replies with a matching smile, "let's go."

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,836

 **Total Word Count:** 87,167

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor Hidan, copping all of Shion's shit and then dying a rather anticlimactic death. Oh, well. Then there's Neji, whom just wishes she would burn in the fiery depths of hell already. Nearly done with the story. Only a few more chapters to go.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	28. Tales of Monsters

**A/N:** Day twenty-eight. Made it just in time today as well, hoorah... Jesus lord, I am sleepy.

* * *

She finds him at the border of _Tsume no Kuni_ , leaning against one of the larger trees and staring ahead at nothing in particular. His arms are folded, with a scroll held in one hand and for some reason he almost looks lugubrious. His gaze slides over to her, and whilst her skin tingles she continues to walk towards him.

There's a twitch of a smile on his lips, one that's both devious but resigned. "Here I had thought it would be her to find me." he remarks, with a deep chuckle.

A frown mars her expression as she stands a metre away, her body purposefully relaxed. "Shion said you were jealous and that's why you got Kakashi involved in her revival." she murmurs, wondering if he'll tell her his side of the story.

His eyes gleam and he shifts, tilting his head as a light frown contorts his lips. "I do not care if she only sees me as a pet, as long as I am the one whom she values most." he glances to the side with a scowl, tension rising in the air. "She viewed that _failure_ as her favourite… The one whom was meant to die in the first place and instead had her killed."

She blinks, tilting her head with a deeper frown contorting her expression. "You knew she would see all this as betrayal." she comments, not so much in realisation but in hopes that he would elaborate his thought process to her.

He smiles then, his eyes sliding back to meet hers. "Yes… But I could not help myself. It had become a branch obsession, something I needed to snap off or it would bother me far too much. Even if it meant going against her word." then the smile falls away and she twitches when his gaze grows a little too intense on her. "I have done everything for her, as she wanted me to."

"You convinced Kakashi to sacrifice himself to bring her back." she deadpans, because it should be obvious by now that it's a rather large reason why Shion's pissed off in the first place. "She didn't want that, but now she wants to punish you for essentially being an unruly pet."

Itachi hums, his expression considering and it's not a comforting thing to look at. "Kakashi may have been her favourite pet… but what was he to you, Sakura-chan? Do you not want to punish me yourself?" then he smirks, and she cringes at the innuendo.

"He was a family member, and whilst I'd like to…" her stomach knots in distaste and her expression likely reflects how she feels. "I'm just going to leave you to Shion, since I doubt I would do very well at torturing you."

He chuckles once more, and she looks at him with an expression she hopes doesn't reveal her reluctant pity. Sadistic torture has never been her thing, but she also doesn't know all that much about Itachi herself. Shion, however, has both those requirements and therefore is far more qualified.

She doesn't know if Shion will kill him or not, but she supposes it's ultimately up to the cursed woman since he's her pet.

"I would have thought differently, Sakura-chan." he replies, pushing off the tree and setting her on edge as he begins to approach her. "You have the capacity, if you could just delve deep into my mind and find out what makes me… tick. Do you not want to attempt to do so, before Shion arrives?"

He brushes his fingers against her jawline as she looks up at him, her frown marring her face a little too much and her stomach feeling rather discomforted.

"I'd rather not." she replies, because it sounds like he actually _wants_ her to try and wreck his mind. That just sets off all kinds of alarms within her, especially when he's got the Sharingan and she's never really tried bypassing that and into an Uchiha's mind. Shisui's always been able to block her out, likely because of how used he is to having his head messed with by someone far more proficient.

His smile is almost forlorn as he gives a slow blink, once again drawing her attention to his eyelashes. "Do you think she would be able to condition me out of my obsession with her?" he queries, tilting his head and glancing into the distance. "I believe she could… but I doubt she will. Perhaps she will make it stronger, just because she can."

"Does it hurt, this obsession of yours?" is her own query as she watches him and realises he looks a little less like a monster at the moment. How strange.

Itachi smiles, one that is rather sardonic. "Do you think it would not be, when she is as she is and I am as I am?" he question in return, with a raised eyebrow as he turns to face her once more.

She sighs, trying to unknot the tangle in her stomach. "I suppose you're right." she murmurs, since that just doesn't seem like a happy combination.

* * *

He lies his head in her lap, his body unmarred save for the eyes that have been surgically removed and the silencing seal that's been placed on his tongue . The way that Shion smiles as she runs her hands through his greasy hair is incredibly unnerving. Her wide eyes and insomniac are agleam with something akin to skewed affection as she gazes down at the blinded man. It's terrifying, to realise that the act of them simply being in the same room together makes their disquieting natures mingle together into an unbearable mix.

Sakura and her brothers fidget, all of them itching to just bolt out of the room and slam the door shut. Itachi and Shion aren't doing anything particularly shameless, but the insanity permeates throughout the room and threatens to contaminate them all.

"I thought you were going to kill him." Neji spits, even as she feels the shaking of his hand as it brushes against hers.

Shion, thankfully, doesn't look up at them. Sakura doesn't think they could handle the intensity of such a deranged gaze at the moment. "You thought wrong, yeah." the redheaded woman hums, brushing a thumb under Uchiha's bandaged eyes. "He may be an unruly pet, but he's still mine. He needs discipline, since he can't help his nature, you know?"

Itachi shifts, one hand reaching up to grab a lock of Shion's long hair. He leans closer, and Sakura feels wholly unsettled when she witnesses the wild gleam in mismatched eyes of indigo and spinning crimson.

"We…" Sai starts, but he falters. He takes a deep breath and tries again. "We wish to know when we will return to Konohagakure."

Since Jiraiya and Orochimaru seem to be content with waiting up for their long lost friend, and the rest of Akatsuki are busy preparing for new goals that are much simpler than taking over the world. So Team Yamaneko have to approach a rather intimidating woman themselves.

"Now, if you want to." is Shion's casual answer, her smile softening the slightest. It's such a broken picture, Shion and Itachi. Like chaotic harmony, perhaps. "Go back with Jiraiya and I'll catch up with Orochimaru soon enough, yeah."

Neji is the first one out of there, with Sai following next. Sakura stays behind for a moment, frowning as she wonders what it is that she wants to say. Itachi tilts his head in her direction, and though he can't see her she still feels uncomfortable being in his radar. Especially when the corner of his lips tilt up like he _knows_.

She feels irritation that he's been blinded, silenced and wrecked in the mind but is still an intimidating figure. Then again, she wouldn't be surprised if he knows how to fight without his sight even though he's an Uchiha. Even if he doesn't have one sense, he still has others and blind shinobi aren't unheard of.

"Is revenge…" Sakura murmurs, not sure what she's really going for. "Is it meant to leave you empty?" because the fury and the anticipation of getting revenge on Itachi has disappeared completely. It was muted, but she remembers it to be there even if it feels like it never was.

Shion smiles down at Itachi, although Sakura feels like it's meant for her. "If you aren't empty already, then I would say yes. I do it because I just don't like people crossing me, but the satisfaction is always lacking simply because of how I am."

Sakura almost forgot about that, since Shion is so emotive. "What do you plan on doing with Itachi-san?" she questions, glancing down to the man in question. He's a shattered existence right now, but she sees that he's genuinely content being in the arms of the one who's ruined him. It's ironic, she feels.

"He wants to become the favourite…" Shion hums, pushing his bangs out of his face. "So he will, since my other one killed himself for my sake. I have more time to condition him now, yeah. Make him better than before, you know?"

Finding this beyond disturbing, Sakura nods and exits the room. She hopes she hasn't caught their insanity via osmosis, however unlikely it seems.

* * *

As Team Yamaneko, Jiraiya and Konan make the journey to Konohagakure, they discuss a few things like understanding why Shion has to mess with people's minds in order to get their loyalty. Konan's coming along mostly as an envoy for Amegakure and for Akatsuki, though the latter part is understandably under wraps.

"It is because intimidation can only work for so long before they begin to retaliate." Sai remarks as he and Konan sit together, much closer than Sakura expects them to sit. This note makes her wonder how old Konan is and if it's paedophilia if anything between them develops. "Affection is harder to break."

She's under the impression that it is, but as long as Sai doesn't get a disease from it then she's fine with it all.

"Trying to build loyalty with fear is doomed to fail." Jiraiya nods, a little too sagely as his hair once again billows behind him like a cape. "And of course, it's all too easy to fear Shion so it would be the logical route for her to forcefully implant some influences in your brain to make you partial towards her regardless of her nature."

Neji bristles, clearly irritated with the topic. "So you _know_ that she went into your head, made you like her more than you would ever like her… and yet you _don't_ care?" he questions the toad Sannin, crouching down rather than standing this time. She still thinks he looks majestic, if a little pissed off.

Jiraiya bellows out a laugh, turning around and making the wind push his mane of hair in the other direction. "The way she does it is very gradual, my uptight little Hyuuga buddy! You become more partial to her due to her mental interference, but it's not exactly strong enough to really create any kind of loyalty. We've gotten to the point where it just doesn't matter anymore, because she's not going to go against me as long as I don't go against her. Terribly shady beginning, of course, but oh well!"

She pats Neji on the shoulder, who really looks like he just wants to go home and sleep for an eternity. She thinks she might share that thought, since a lot has happened in the past few weeks and she hasn't had much time to think on it.

Perhaps she doesn't want to, but it's likely that she'll tell Shikamaru and he always seems to help figure things out with her.

"You mind if we take a detour, hey Sakura-chan?" their captain looks over to her, and she tilts her head in question. He obliges her. "It'd be best if we get a few dozen bottles of sake for Tsunade, since she'll be pissed the hell off and will probably turn into a banshee or something when she learns that Shion's alive. Among other important details."

Sakura nods, because that sounds like a good idea and a nice way to avoid dying. She could also get Shisui, who'd be up for a fight against a pissed off Hokage.

* * *

They appear in her dream, the one from before who's both ethereal and suspicious as all hell. They spot her, but then they look around and seem to almost panic at the realisation that Shion's presence is no longer around.

 **"Where are they, little one?"** they ask, sounding as though they're trying to remain calm. Their voice wavers though, just the slightest.

She frowns up at them, before sighing and sitting down on the slope of the hill she's currently on. She can see the scarecrow in field of shions, and a large weasel trying to rip the scarecrow apart.

"If you mean, Shion, then she was revived and has her own body." she finally replies, feeling them come to stand behind her even though their footfalls are silent. "Shouldn't you be in her dream if that's the case?"

 **"Malum Grande… or Shion, as you call them is a difficult soul to find."** they murmur in answer, coming to stand beside her now and look at the environment of her dream. **"I had not been able to find them until recently… It would appear that it is thanks to you that I was able to discover them after so many centuries."**

She blinks at the sky, feeling rather exasperated since she just wanted to escape the absurdity for a little while. "Shion attached herself to me when I was born. She doesn't seem to know how. Would you be able to theorise why?" she tries, since they seem to be the most likely to have the answers.

They tilt their head, and it's strange to note that there's only a black shadow where the top of their head should be under that hood of theirs **. "Perhaps it is because you were born at the exact moment Malum Grande died… Perhaps it was because Malum Grande had willed herself to remain in this dimension despite having died. But what matters now is that I must find them, and bring them home."**

Sakura stands, since it's hard to feel the serious mood when she's craning her neck up to look at them. "What?"

 **"My people…"** they hesitate, before sighing and facing her. **"Do you know of tales, where there is a being whom is given the status of a monster because of some old prophecy?"** when she nods, they continue. **"Then you would understand that others would shun this being, since they cannot see the true nature of the supposed monster because their fear blinds them. Perhaps you would understand that others would wish to banish this being, even curse them so that they can remain at peace?"**

She doesn't like where this is going. "Are you implying to me that Shion is the monster that they cursed and banished?" she tries, feeling something sink in her gut. If Shion were to know that's how her curse of an existence started, Sakura's sure that it wouldn't be a pleasant time for anyone they want to bring her back without a fight.

The figure smiles, and she realises that smile is rather ominous. **"In tales like these, it is almost always the ones whom attempt to stop the prophecies that only up solidifying it. I have done the best I can to fix the damages, so that Malum Grande may remember when the time comes. They may hate me for being unable to help them sooner… but they will return and they will make the others understand what has been created."**

There's a moment where Sakura has to stop thinking, then restart again as she realises what his intentions are. Then, she feels some sort of relief because Shion is more likely to go along with the ethereal figure if that's the case. Shion would without a doubt go against them for thinking that she would simply accept returning home just like that.

"That works." she murmurs, rubbing her temples. "Just stick around for a bit, since she's coming soon and she can get into my head or something. You can meet her then and… discuss."

 **"Thank you, little one."** they beam, but it's not all that comforting. **"It is unusual to meet such a cooperative soul. May you be blessed for the rest of your existence."**

Now that just sounds shady in her opinion, so she bids a temporary farewell to face the day. It's better if the weirdos are _outside_ of her head.

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,791

 **Total Word Count:** 89,958

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** I think we've never seen Shion and Itachi interact together before, in Sakura's body or otherwise. I felt a little disturbed myself when I was writing it, but it was fun. Hopefully, the last bit made some sort of sense. Two more chapters to go, whoo.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	29. Done with the World

**A/N:** Day twenty-nine. One of those 'dead inside' chapters, which is a shame.

* * *

The other villages, of course, demand compensation for all the trouble that the Akatsuki have caused. After reporting to Tsunade, dodging a dodging a dozen sake bottles and watching the well-endowed woman down the other dozen; Team Yamaneko have completed their mission with a few added bonuses.

They've all been paid at least two times the usual amount for S-ranks, but she supposes that it makes sense considering all the nonsense that has happened. Not that the slug Sannin really wanted to, but she's sort of obligated to since there's a whole lot of unintended benefits from this mission.

A lot of trauma as well, perhaps.

She glances over to Konan and Sai, whom are conversing before the elder woman's escorted to some kind of lodging. Sai's smile is a relaxed one, which is surprising considering how long it took him to direct a smile like that to Neji. Even now, it's rather rare.

"What are we waiting for again?" her more ill-tempered brother snaps, his arms folded and his foot twitching almost as if he wants to tap it in irritation. It would amusing to witness, in her opinion, but that's probably why he doesn't do it. "I want to go home already."

So he can use his personal and most favoured brush… Or so _she_ can use it on him, since he likes to be a pampered puppy.

"Sai." she replies, then tilts her head in consideration. "And if Shion will burst through the window to make a grand entrance, just to piss Tsunade-san off."

It seems like something Shion would do, especially if she has Shisui on her side. Except that theory's thrown out of the window when the woman herself strides into the waiting area, leading the blinded Uchiha by the hand with Orochimaru and Kabuto almost flanking her.

Something in her mind conjures the image of them walking in slow motion, their hair billowing in the wind as sparkles surround them. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation isn't all that pleasant and amusing.

Everyone that's not used to the absurdity are rather alarmed by Itachi's appearance. The anxiety and tension in the atmosphere rises, even though the group of highly dangerous ninja are unperturbed and continue on their way. She supposes that they don't do anything because Orochimaru's there and he's a trusted and valued shinobi of Konohagakure.

"I'm going home." Neji announces, decisive as he takes a sharp turn around to grab his brother. They disappear in a swirl of smoke, and Sakura gives Konan a polite smile that's almost immediately returned.

When Shion stops before her, she feels a little sick because of their oppressive auras. "She might flip the desk once she sees you." Sakura says in a way of greeting, before glancing to the side. "Then again, she already did when she heard you were alive."

The deranged Uzumaki grins at her, as Itachi shifts closer. He's wearing that simple black cloak of his, the bandages around his eyes replaced with a cloth of the same colour. His hair is back to its usual luscious shine and he doesn't smell like blood and sweat anymore.

He smirks at her in greeting, and she frowns up at him. He gives a silent chuckle, apparently at ease with his situation and adjusting well. What a bastard.

"As expected." Shion nods, then glances around. "It feels strange being back here, yeah. I have the strangest urge to destroy everything and become an international criminal, you know?" she cackles, like it's some joke even though they all know it's possible that she could and probably would.

"That'd just be undoing a lot of things…" Sakura sighs, though with a slight smile. "Also, I need you to go into my mind at some point. I have a… guest that wants to see you."

The Uzumaki woman raises a brow at her, before waving a hand in dismissal. "Sure, whatever. Weird shit's happened before, yeah."

* * *

Shion and Itachi burst out of the Hokage's office, with the former laughing as a desk slams against the walls and destroys the entrance. Sakura is swept up in the momentum, finding herself running away with the two insane Sharingan wielders.

"What did you say to her?" Sakura queries, jumping from roof to roof with them. She takes notes of the way that the two move in sync, their hands still joined and their movements graceful. It's rather annoying, though she's not quite sure why. Perhaps it's because she wishes for Itachi to be a little less proficient what with his lack of eyesight.

That might be bad of her, but she doesn't feel all that guilty for thinking it.

"Quite a few things, but I'm just naturally aggravating to her." Shion laughs, stopping on a random roof and prompting both Sakura and Itachi to mimic her. "But it's her way of showing affection, the squishy melon drunkard."

Sakura jumps over to the same roof as them, looking around and realising how out of place the two of them feel. The general serenity of the village seems unfitting to two ninja that drown in chaos and self-destruction.

She tilts her head, looking at them and realising that they look like villains from one of the many novels she's read. But she thinks that their roles are little more complicated than that. Not villains, not heroes… They're just monsters who don't know how to be human.

That makes her wonder if being human is such a good thing, although she's not sure why she's suddenly feeling so contemplative and deep.

"We should probably go visit my nephew and the other little shits at his house, huh?" Shion remarks, with a slight frown of contemplation. Her expression doesn't seem to be all that pleased. "Mm… Nah, fuck it. I don't want to deal with Gaara, Haku and the likelihood that sunshine lollipop will want to bond via family stories, yeah."

Itachi's lips tilt upwards into a smile, and Sakura wonders if they're able to communicate telepathically like the Yamanaka can. She doubts it though, since Shion would be having Itachi's voice whispering sweet nothings in her head. Sakura's stomach clenches in distaste at the mere thought of having Itachi in her head, like how Shion was.

"Ah, are you allowed to be out and about with Itachi trailing behind you?" she queries, suddenly realising that there's been no announcement to quell the worries of an international criminal roaming around their village.

Shion blinks at her, then chuckles. "No, likely not. But whatever, yeah. Wouldn't it be fun if someone _does_ come around to pick a fight? It might start some kind of political situation, but it's not like I give that much of a shit, yeah."

Sakura hums, conjuring a few theories as to why Tsunade threw the desk at Shion. The slug Sannin likely would've thrown more crap if she could.

* * *

Although reluctant to register Itachi's signature into the seal that protects the house, she does it anyway since there's not much point in arguing. Shion's fine, since they essentially have the same chakra and the seal recognises her.

Sakura feels a little bad for her temperamental brother though, whom likely feels like even his safe space has been invaded by despicable people. It does feel a little weird having them in the house, together and expecting them to be cordial in some manner.

Half of her expects Shion to just start throwing explosive tags everywhere because she felt like it would be fun. Except she knows that Shion wouldn't do that to a place that's precious to Sakura, even if she wanted to.

Neji growls at the sight of the two mentally ill ninja, his fingers twitching like he's about to go for his kunai pouch. He doesn't, maturely huffing and stomping up the stairs in an attempt to get some peace from psychopaths.

Sai gives a polite smile, then follows his brother up the stairs to likely keep him company. Perhaps they'll talk about typical boy things, although it's unlikely. The thought bring a smile to her face, though.

"Are you going to be staying in Konoha long?" she inquires as she leads them into the kitchen, only to pause when she sees a summoning contract on the dining table. Walking towards it, she picks it up to examine it. Her attention soon falls onto the note that had been underneath it.

 _ **Take care of them…**_

Her heart clenches, as she realises that she won't be seeing Kakashi around anymore. She looks up, scouring the room and noting all the little details that said Kakashi lived here. There's a mild sting in her eyes, but it's not enough to make her eyes water.

For some reason, she feels a little devastated to know that she can't even cry for him.

"Not long…" Shion murmurs, releasing Itachi's hand to lean against the edge of the table. She's surprisingly more solemn than before, probably reminded as well that the man standing in the room with them sent their man-child-dog to his death. "We don't like Konoha all that much, yeah."

"We'll have a funeral for him." Sakura states, placing the summoning contract back onto the table. "Will you stay until then?" she asks, turning towards her former mental companion.

Shion gives a slight smile, one that's more human than anything else Sakura's seen before on her face. "Yeah, obviously. They're not my thing, but it's the least I can do."

She's so very glad Itachi can't talk at this moment, because he surely would've ruined the moment.

* * *

For the sake of convenience and because there's no way in hell that she'd be comfortable having Itachi in her mind, it's only Shion whom arrives to meet with the mysterious figure. Sakura can only think of terrible things happening if that particular Uchiha went roaming about her mind. Even if Shion appears to have him under control, he's just the kind of person one can't trust.

Shion's expression is somewhat disgusted upon looking at the hooded being, even though said hooded being looks delighted to see her. They almost go in for a hug, she thinks, until Shion's narrows her eyes in warning.

"The fuck is this?" is the cursed woman's elegant query, directing her gaze over to Sakura.

"Apparently," she starts, her nerves beginning to tingle from mild concern, "this one's from your original world, where you were bestowed the status of a monster because of some shady prophecy. The people there banished and cursed you, and whoever this is has been looking for you ever since. They couldn't find you until you attached yourself to me."

Both of Shion's brows are raised, although her expression is more disbelieving than anything. "Wow, that's some shit. Why has this mystical being been looking for my condemned soul, yeah?"

 **"To bring you back… So that you may reveal to them what they have done by casting you out."** they answer for her, stepping forward to fully take Shion's attention. **"You were once a gentle soul, but their fear has since created this cause of effect where you have become warped and broken. Though you can never truly be fixed, I have managed to allow you the ability to regain your memories of all your past lives."**

Shion squints at this, folding her arms and appearing to be rather unimpressed with it all. "That sounds fucking horrible, yeah. Why would I want to remember everything? That just sounds troublesome and tormenting." and it does, because that's multiple lifetime's worth of memories.

They tilt their head, acknowledging the skepticism. **"It is a mere choice to remember. You were previously unable to connect with your past lives, but I have ensured that you will be able to if you so wish. It has been a difficult and complicated process, but I wish to bring you back to where you originally belong with your memories intact."**

Shion is still wearing a skeptical expression as she stares at the figure, who waits patiently for a reply. Then, the woman sighs in annoyance. "So you want me to remember all the terrible shit they've done to me, so that I can be motivated to get revenge on all the fuckers that kicked me out, yeah?" she summarises, which sounds a lot simpler and a little… well, lacking.

They nod, although somewhat unsurely. **"Not just that, but being able to reconnect with past lives will allow you to remember important information that will certainly help you. It is a simple bonus to what I wished to achieve, though."**

"Right, I'm confused as all hell but fuck it, whatever." Shion waves her hand in dismissal. "I'm down with fucking up a bunch of cunts, yeah. Seems like fun, if that's what you want me to do. Do I have to die to be reborn there?"

Another nod from the ethereal figure. **"You are prophesised to become the destroyer of that world. Once you die here, you will be reborn there as you truly are."** which, in Sakura's opinion, sounds a little terrifying.

Shion frowns in thought. "I'll come, if you bring two more souls to be my precious companions." her grin is devious, and Sakura feels like she knows where there is going. "Being alone gets boring, you know?"

The figure's silent for a moment before, **"That can be arranged. Specify them to me and I will bind them to you."** they don't sound very pleased.

"Fuck yeah." Shion chuckles, before turning to face Sakura. "I guess that means that I'll be leaving a lot sooner than I planned, because I think I'm about done here anyway." she states, cracking her neck and then her fingers.

Sakura tilts her head, before smiling. "You're going to bring a scarecrow and a weasel with you? Shisui-taichou will be disappointed." she replies, feeling a strange sense of ease. She's neither happy nor upset at the prospect of Shion leaving. It'll take some time getting used to the fact that Shion won't be occasionally commenting on something in her head, but that's not worrying.

"He'll always be one of my favourites, but I really just want to see how those two interact together in another dimension." Shion throws her head back and cackles, which is relieving for reasons Sakura's not all that sure of. "That'll be a riot, yeah."

"You still have to come to the funeral, though." she says, otherwise Shion will probably blow herself up as soon as they're out of her mindscape.

Shion nods once she's done laughing, leaving an amused smile to form on her lips. "Yeah, don't worry. I will."

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,437

 **Total Word Count:** 92,395

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** This is basically the end, since the last chapter will be someone else's POV and it's likely to be like the epilogue thing. Maybe, I doubt it will tie up loose ends. I'm not happy with this chapter, but ah well. It's one of many. I'll try to do better on the last chapter. See you then.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


	30. Some Leave, More Arrive

**A/N:** Day thirty. We're done, guys. This doesn't tie up everything, but hopefully you enjoy it anyway.

* * *

 **Epilogue?**

* * *

The circumstances between Mother and Father are… odd. As are the circumstances of his and his siblings' creation. Children aren't usually created in some lab tube, with some sleepy snake person watching over their growth. When he learns the actual way humans procreate, he understands why it is that Mother and Father didn't have them the standard way.

Mother has another family, with another man and two other children that are hers by choice.

Father has never married, never given anyone else a second glance. He looks only at Mother, even if Mother will never look at him that way. Father created them in hopes of winning her over, but it would appear that he still doesn't completely understand how people work.

When Mother is informed, he watches as she punches Father through a wall. Her eyes are alight with fury, and her aura is heavy before she directs her gaze over to him and his siblings.

They all expect her to reject them, to sneer and walk away as they are the unwanted creations. When she walks over to them, they're tense as they direct subtle glances to the rubble where Father is located. He thinks Father deserved it.

She gives them a slight smile, and he realises how much he wishes that she would accept them. His tiny heart swells with hope, regardless of how much he attempts to push it down. It's going to hurt, he thinks, when she stands and turns their back on them.

"I suppose I have no choice." Mother sighs instead, and to him she's beautiful and wonderful even if he doesn't know her that well. "I'm not going to let you stay here to grow up like that dickhead over there, so I guess we'll have to clean out some rooms."

He blinks, glancing to his siblings. "Does that mean that we're going with you?" he dares to ask, clenching his fists in his attempt to calm the nervous energy within him.

Her smiles widens a little more, a gloved hand reaching out to pet his hair. He feels almost as though he's going to burst into tears, and he doesn't understand why. Maybe it's because it feels nice, but he can't cry otherwise his siblings will cry and Father hates it when they do.

"Yeah. I won't reject you because of someone else's mistakes. You didn't ask to be made." she replies, and he can't help but lunge for her in an unthinking hug. She catches him with ease, then soon she catches his siblings as he feels them press against his back. "I'd like to know your names."

He leans back with his siblings to look up at her. Her smile is one of endearment and amusement, making his chest swell with joy. It hurts a lot, he thinks. Pleasant emotions hurt almost as much as unpleasant ones, and he wonders why that is.

"I'm Ichirou." he murmurs, then gestures to his three siblings. "They're Shinju, Shou and Souma. We had another sibling, but he was a failed experiment and didn't make it." he explains, blinking when her eyelids become heavy. It makes her look unimpressed, and he starts to worry.

Mother hums as she stands. He has to crane his neck to look up at her, thinking that even if she's shorter than Father, she certainly feels more impressive.

"Let's go, before your father starts chasing me and declares that my acceptance of you means acceptance of him." she directs a frown at the rubble as she says this.

He shares delighted glances with his siblings, then follows after he as she begins to walk away.

* * *

Mother's house is largely secluded, located within a forest and surrounded by many kinds of flowers. It's large, like a clan household and he realises it might be when there's a large circular symbol on the door. He can hear dogs and someone yelling about sugar from within the house.

The flowers smell nice and give off a calming effect… perhaps one that is a little too calming, but Father has stated before that Mother's good with olfactory genjutsu among other things. Father can talk about her for hours.

It makes him feel a little bad, honestly. Only a little though, because Father's… well, Father.

Mother registers their chakra into some kind of seal before letting them through, and he almost yelps when another child bursts through and nearly crashes into him on their way to greet Mother.

"Kaa-chan!" the child exclaims and jumps at Mother. Ichirou blinks, taking note of the sable-shaded hair that's tied up and sticks out like a pineapple. "Sumire's taking all the sugar for herself and it greatly displeases me!"

Then the child turns to them, blinking at them with wide eyes the colour of pine. Ichirou and the others blink in return. The few moments of silence seems too long in his opinion.

"Ah, yeah." Mother chuckles, sounding exasperated as she pets the child's hair. "These are your half-siblings, because some irritant of an Uchiha decided to create them without my permission." she explains in a brief and somewhat vague manner.

The other child gasps, rather dramatically. "Holy crispy nuggets! I gotta tell ojiisan!" and then the child runs back inside, his form growing smaller in the distance. "I have more siblings!" he yells from down the hall, which elicits some kind of banging from somewhere further inside.

A man with long and luscious hair of chocolate abruptly appears in Ichirou's field of view, looking both alarmed and irritated as he approaches. Another man appears behind him, with dark hair, rather unusually pasty skin and a peculiar kind of smile.

"They're Uchiha!" the first man exclaims, appalled once he's close enough. He grabs Mother by the shoulders and leans in. "What the actual hell, Sakura? Why? _How_?"

The pale man kneels down in front of them, examining Ichirou first by grabbing a lock of lightly-coloured hair and then looking at his eyes. "They certainly look like a mix between Sakura-neesama and an Uchiha. That is alarming, and I too wish to know how this came about."

"Chichi-ue had us made in a lab, using both his and haha-ue's DNA." Shinju answers with her soft, monotonous voice. She presses against his back, since she's still shy around strangers even though others are more intimidated by her. It's a shame, since he thinks she looks wonderful as she is.

" _I'll kill him_." Neji ̶ as Ichirou learns ̶ seethes, about to march off to commit murder but is stopped by Mother who drags him inside like it's no big deal. "Release me! I'll beat that unworthy scum into the ground and make sure he never comes up again!"

Mother attempts to soothe Neji by hugging his head and petting it, which is surprisingly fast and effective. "Later, otouto. We have to deal with the children. I'll have to go have a talk with Naruto about a few things, like if he knew about this all along." her eyes have a particular glint in them, which is a little ominous in his opinion.

"Sounds like fun." the pale man remarks with a slight deviation to his smile. He pokes Shinju on the nose and chuckles when she makes a sound of indignation and surprise. "They are cute, but that is to be expected when their mother is Sakura-neesama."

"Haha-ue is cute, yes." Souma agrees, with a decisive nod of his head. Then he frowns in uncertainty. "No… haha-ue is pretty. No, haha-ue is beautiful!"

Ichirou smiles, feeling lighter than he's ever felt and he hopes his siblings feel the same.

* * *

Mother has to go see the Nanadaime Hokage, whom Ichirou knows to be close with Father. Sometimes, the Hokage came to visit but it was almost always to warn Father that Mother would be furious to learn of what he's done. The Hokage has his own child, but he's never married either. Sometimes Ichirou sees them, but they've never interacted.

Left to wander the household, he finds a girl lounging on an arm chair in what appears to be the lounge room. Her legs dangle over the arm rest as she pours a suspicious amount of sugar into a tub of ice cream.

He blinks, noting the colourful flower crown atop unruly and long rouge hair. Then he meets heavy-lidded eyes of mint, and glances at the raised brow directed at him in question. He feels his stomach clench in discomfort, but he steps forward regardless. He doesn't know where his siblings are, so he's left alone in an unfamiliar place.

"You must be one of the new siblings that the other brat's going on about." she remarks, her voice somewhat rough as she devours a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. "I'm Sumire, the little turd that was running around is my little brother Shikaru."

Ichirou blinks again before a light frown mars his face. "Shikaru is a strange name." he notes, gaining enough confidence to sit on the longer couch that's located near her. She chuckles in response, and he muses about how her movements are rather lethargic.

"Mm. How old are you?" she queries then, sitting up so that she's facing him better. He marvels at how her bangs don't seem to be poking her eyes even though they're in the way.

He glances up at the ceiling fan, realising that there's a little charm in the middle. "Biologically, I'm nine. Chronologically, I'm about… ten months. Shinju and Shou are the middle twins and they're biologically eight. Souma's the youngest at seven. We're expected to stop aging when our bodies fully mature."

Sumire squints at him, before standing up to sit beside him. She basically flops down beside him, then brings her legs up to her chest. He leans back when there's suddenly a spoon of ice cream in his face.

"Eat it." she orders, prompting him to listen. He flinches at its coldness before thinking that it's not bad. "I'm thirteen. Shikaru's nine. We have two cousins, but they aren't related to us. They're adopted, like Sai and Neji are."

Ichirou jolts when there's a delighted scream and the cacophony of barking. He leans forward to look at the archway, managing to catch Shikaru and Souma run past with the canines following after them.

"Did you know that kaa-chan's life is pretty absurd?" Sumire randomly comments, glancing at him. "She told me that she had the Hokage's aunt inside her head until she was like, sixteen or something. Her name was Shion, and she had this whole plan to revive herself for the simple acts of getting revenge and because it sounded fun. Then Shion decided to go back to her original world, because she was from a bunch of different dimensions. Some dude appeared in kaa-chan's head to help bring Shion back, you know?"

He frowns, before remembering that Father had spoken about something somewhat similar and probably related. "Chichi-ue says that our ojisan had devoted his entire life to a woman named Shion, then killed himself with her when she came back to life somehow."

Sumire nods with a grin. "Yeah! But that isn't romantic at all, in my opinion. Tou-chan and Kaa-chan are the most romantic. They've been together since they were like, six or something! You should see them when they're together, it's adorable! Guh!" she cackles and leans against him in her mirth. "I bet they're soulmates or something."

He tenses, before finding himself relaxing soon enough. It's rowdy here, but there's no oppressive atmosphere.

"But yeah, anyway." and Sumire stops laughing immediately, which he thinks to be a little jarring as she huffs from mild fatigue. She starts to feed him ice cream and he can't help but go along with her flow. It's not bad ice cream anyway, so there's not much of a loss… or a loss at all, really. "We're a pretty big family and it's only grown bigger now with you and your other siblings."

"You're just going to accept us?" he asks with a tilt of his head. The books had said that it took time before a stranger could really integrate themselves into a family.

She gives an uncaring shrug, devouring some ice cream herself before feeding him once more. "We're a family that just goes along with the absurdity. In fact, It's practically built from absurdity. You'll get used to it eventually, you know? Besides, I think you're a cute little otouto even if half of your genes are from that weirdo clan leader of the Uchiha."

"Are you a ninja?" he murmurs in question, glancing down at her clothes. She's wearing an oversized shirt that seems to double as a dress, with thigh-length socks. He's not sure if she's wearing shorts or not, but he doesn't want to ask. It'd be a question that Father would ask without missing a beat.

"Chuunin, yeah. Kaa-chan's in ANBU with Sai and Neji, her two brothers. Tou-chan's a jounin and also some kind of assistant to Naruto, so his kid often comes over to play. Shikaru's still in the academy, since he didn't want to graduate early. Yuuki and Mao ̶ our cousins ̶ are going through the ANBU Initiate Program's training. Ojiisan's still alive and kicking, with his shady underground business still thriving as well."

Ichirou smiles, even though he's not sure why. "Chichi-ue says that haha-ue is great." he whispers, not exactly sure why he's bothered to say such a thing.

Sumire grins at him. "Yeah, man. She's a boss. You're going to enjoy it here." she ruffles his hair as a form of affection.

He thinks he's going to enjoy it here as well.

* * *

They blink at themselves in the mirror, as it's the first time that they've really looked at themselves in a mirror. Father doesn't like mirrors, having said something about how they give him headaches. It sounds worrisome.

Ichirou looks a lot like his father, save for the fact that his hair is a taffy shade. His eyes are the same shade of ink as Father's and the rest of the other Uchiha members, but he thinks there's less of an intensity to his gaze. His hair is unfortunately as spiky and fluffy as Father's too though.

Shou has Mother's eyes and Father's hair, like Shikaru except less… Nara-like. His hair is also longer, and his expression almost never changes. Father's always said that Shou looks a lot like their uncle, but that Mother's never liked their uncle. Shou used to fear that Mother would hate him for that, even if he didn't really say so out loud.

Souma's the one who looks most like an Uchiha, with the dark hair and eyes. Although, his eyes are more of a metal shade rather than the deep ink. His hair is always a mess, since he never brushes it. All three of them have fair skin, which both Mother and Father have.

Ichirou then turns to Shinju, who's the most different of them all. She turned out to be an albino, with long hair the shade of pearl and porcelain skin. Her irises are a shade of pistachio and he's always thought she looks rather doll-like. It intimidates some people, which is unfortunate since she's generally so nice.

They used to wear the simple and plain clothes of the Uchiha clan, but now they've been allowed to choose whatever it is that they want to wear. Shou and Shinju have chosen elaborately-patterned yukata that match one another, although Shou's taken to wearing it as a shirt with pants to cover his legs. Souma's wearing similar pants and a jacket that resembles the typical Nara wear. It's probably from Shikaru's influence, he thinks since they've been getting along.

He himself has gone for something simple and practical, wearing a high-collared and sleeveless jacket with loose-fitting pants and ankle-high sandals. He plans on getting arm warmers soon, but he likes what he's chosen. He feels like a person with individuality, rather than something empty and without meaning.

"You're all adorable." Mother remarks with a smile, as Sumire yawns and leans on Shikaru. Mother then turns to look at her husband, who's leaning against one of the walls and frowning at the floor with his arms crossed. "Are you still sulking, Shikamaru?"

The man in question groans, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You'd _think_ he would have given up by now." he mutters in annoyance, before glancing over to Ichirou and his siblings. Shikamaru's eyes notably soften at them. "But yeah… They're pretty cute."

"We appreciate you accepting us…" Shinju frowns, unsure what to call Mother's husband. "T ̶ … Tou-san?"

Shikamaru blinks, before his lips form into a small smile and he pushes off the wall. "Well, I don't mind being called that. But uh, aren't one of you meant to be the Uchiha heir?" he queries, walking forward to stand beside Mother.

Ichirou sees the way they glance at each other and the way their fingers intertwine, then understands what Sumire was talking about before. "I'm meant to be the heir." he answers, then meets Mother's eyes. "You said you were going to figure it out…?"

Mother nods in confirmation. "There's still some issues we've got to work out, but it's not something to fret over." she reassures him, beginning to turn. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Should be." Sumire drawls, standing up straight and groaning when she cracks her back. "Dear lord, ow. I'm too young for back pain…" she rubs her back as they all begin to file out of the room, with Shikaru chirping about how Sumire's back pain is from her bad posture. She does slouch often when she walks with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her dress, much like how her father does.

When they're at the cemetery, he and his siblings simply follow the rest of their new family since they know where to go. They stop by almost isolated graves that are located near the field of higanbana flowers, with three of them together in a row.

Mother kneels down, placing down the bouquet of higanbana that she had gathered from her garden on the middle grave. He looks at the engraving, his eyes widening in recognition.

 _ **Uzumaki Shion**_

 _ **May you enjoy destroying other worlds with your treasured pets**_

 _ **You're a terrible person, but we miss you dearly**_

* * *

 **The End**

* * *

 **Chapter Word Count:** 3,069

 **Total Word Count:** 95,464

 **Targeted Word Count:** 0

* * *

 **A/N:** It's complete! It's over! I've done the challenge, whoo! It feels rather bittersweet, because this is the first time I've completed a story. I'm proud though, even if the story's not perfect. Seriously, thank you all for having stuck around until the end. See you whenever.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.


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